Eclesiastes 7
1 Melhor é a boa fama do que o melhor unguênto, e o dia da morte do que o dia do nascimento de alguém.
[Having] a good reputation [MTY] is better than fine perfume, and the day that we die is better than the day that we are born.
2 Melhor é ir à casa do luto do que ir à casa do banquete, porque nela é o fim de todos os homens; e os vivos o aplicam ao seu coração.
It is better to go to a house where people are mourning [about someone who has died] than to go to a house where people are feasting, because everyone will die some day, and people who are alive should think seriously [IDM] about that.
3 Melhor é o nojo do que o riso, porque com a tristeza do rosto se encomenda o coração.
It is better to be sad than to be [always] laughing, because being sad can cause us to think more about how we should conduct our lives [IDM].
4 O coração dos sábios está na casa do luto, mas o coração dos tolos na casa da alegria.
Wise [people] who go to where others are mourning think about [the fact that some day they also will] die, but foolish people [PRS] [do not think about that]; they are always [MTY] laughing.
5 Melhor é ouvir a repreensão do sábio, do que ouvir alguém a canção do tolo.
It is better to pay attention to [someone who is wise] you than to listen to the songs of a foolish person.
6 Porque qual o ruído dos espinhos debaixo de uma panela, tal é o riso do tolo: também isto é vaidade.
By [listening to] foolish people laughing we will not [learn any more than by listening to] the crackling of thorns [being burned] under a pot. Listening to fools is senseless.
7 Verdadeiramente que a opressão faria endoidecer até ao sábio, e a peita corrompe o coração.
When wise people say to others, “You must pay me a lot of money for me to protect you,” that causes those wise people to become foolish, and [accepting] bribes causes people to become unable to do what is fair/just.
8 Melhor é o fim das coisas do que o princípio delas: melhor é o longânimo do que o altivo de coração.
Finishing something is better than starting something, and being patient is better than being proud.
9 Não te apresses no teu espírito a irar-te, porque a ira repousa no seio dos tolos.
Do not quickly (lose your temper/react to things angrily), because it is foolish people [SYN] who become very angry.
10 Nunca digas: Porque foram os dias passados melhores do que estes? porque nunca com sabedoria isto perguntarias.
Do not say, “Things were a lot better [RHQ] previously,” because it is people who are not wise who say that.
11 Tão boa é a sabedoria como a herança, e dela os que veem o sol tiram proveito.
Being wise is better than inheriting [valuable things]; being wise provides lasting benefits for every person on the earth [MTY].
12 Porque a sabedoria serve de sombra, como de sombra serve o dinheiro; mas a excelência do conhecimento é que a sabedoria dá vida ao seu possuidor.
We are [sometimes] protected by being wise like we are [sometimes] protected by having a lot of money, but being wise is better [than having a lot of money], [because] being wise prevents us from [doing foolish things that would] cause us to die.
13 Atenta para a obra de Deus; porque quem poderá endireitar o que ele fez torto?
Think [carefully about] what God has done. Certainly no one can [RHQ] cause to become straight the things that God has caused to be crooked.
14 No dia da prosperidade goza do bem, mas no dia da adversidade considera; porque também Deus fez a este em oposição àquele, para que o homem nada ache do que haverá depois dele.
When things are going well for you, be happy, and when things are not going well for you, remember that God is the one who causes good things to happen and who also causes disasters.
15 Tudo isto vi nos dias da minha vaidade: há um justo que perece na sua justiça, e há um ímpio que prolonga os seus dias na sua maldade.
During all the time that I have been alive I have seen a lot of [HYP] things that seem senseless. I have seen righteous people die [while they are still young], and I have seen wicked people remain alive for a very long time in [spite of] their continuing to be wicked.
16 Não sejas demasiadamente justo, nem demasiadamente sábio: para que te destruirias a ti mesmo?
[So] do not think that you are very righteous and do not think that you are very wise, [because if you think those things], you will destroy yourself.
17 Não sejas demasiadamente ímpio, nem sejas demasiadamente louco: para que morrerias fora de teu tempo?
If you do what is evil or do what is foolish, you might die while you are still young.
18 Bom é que retenhas isto, e também disto não retires a tua mão; porque quem teme a Deus escapa de tudo isto.
Continue to avoid doing what is evil and doing what is foolish; avoid doing both of those things by continually revering God.
19 A sabedoria fortalece ao sábio, mais do que dez governadores que haja na cidade.
If you are wise, you will be more powerful/influential than the ten most powerful/influential men in your city.
20 Na verdade que não há homem justo sobre a terra, que faça bem, e nunca peque.
There is no one in this world who [always] does what is right and who never sins.
21 Tão pouco apliques o teu coração a todas as palavras que se disserem, para que não venhas a ouvir que o teu servo te amaldiçoa.
Do not pay attention [IDM] to everything that people say, because if you do that, you might hear your servant cursing you.
22 Porque o teu coração também já confessou muitas vezes que também tu amaldiçoaste a outros.
You know that you have also cursed other people.
23 Tudo isto inquiri com sabedoria; e disse: Sabedoria adquirirei; mas ela ainda estava longe de mim.
I said [to myself] that I would use my wisdom to study all the things [that I have written about], but I was not able to do it successfully.
24 Longe está o que foi; e o profundíssimo quem o achará?
Wisdom seems to be far from me; there is no one [RHQ] who can truly understand everything.
25 Eu virei o meu coração para saber, e inquirir, e buscar a sabedoria e a razão, e para saber a impiedade da estultícia e a doidice dos desvários.
But I decided to investigate things and by my wisdom try to understand the reason for everything. I also wanted to understand why people act wickedly and why they act very foolishly.
26 E eu achei uma coisa mais amarga do que a morte, a mulher cujo coração são redes e laços, e as suas mãos ataduras: quem for bom diante de Deus escapará dela, mas o pecador virá a ser preso por ela.
[One thing I learned was that] (allowing a woman to seduce you/having sex with a woman to whom you are not married) is worse than dying. A woman who tries to seduce men is [as dangerous as] a trap [MET]. [If you allow her to put] her arms [around you, it will be as though she will be fastening you with] chains. Women like that will capture sinful men, but men who please God will escape from such women.
27 Vedes aqui, isto achei, diz o pregador, conferindo uma coisa com a outra para assim achar a razão delas;
This is what I have learned: I tried to learn more and more about things to try to find out the reason for everything,
28 A qual ainda busca a minha alma, porém ainda não a achei; um homem entre mil achei eu, mas uma mulher entre todas estas não achei.
and I continued to try to learn more, but I could not find [all that I was searching for]. [But] one thing that I found out was that among 1,000 [people] I found one righteous man, but I did not find even one righteous woman.
29 Vedes aqui, que isto tão somente achei: que Deus fez ao homem reto, porém eles buscaram muitas invenções.
[But] I did learn one thing: When God created people, they were righteous, but they have found many ways to do many evil things.
