Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.
A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good [warning] to his heart.
It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.
Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
5 [It is] better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
6 As the sound of thorns under a caldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.
for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.
7 for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.
Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
8 The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.
Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.
Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
10 Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire in wisdom concerning this.
Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.
11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and [there is] an advantage [by it] to them that see the sun.
Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
12 For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.
For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
13 Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?
Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
14 In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, [I say], God also has caused the one to agree with the other for [this] reason, that man should find nothing after him.
In a good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis ayens hym.
15 I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.
Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice.
16 Be not very just; neither be very wise: lest thou be confounded.
Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
17 Be not very wicked; and be not stubborn: lest thou shouldest die before thy time.
Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
18 It is well for thee to hold fast by this; also by this defile not thine hand: for to them that fear God all things shall come forth [well].
It is good, that thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necligent of ony thing.
19 Wisdom will help the wise man more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
20 For there is not a righteous man in the earth, who will do good, and not sin
Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
21 Also take no heed to all the words which ungodly men shall speak; lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.
But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
22 For many times he shall trespass against thee, and repeatedly shall he afflict thine heart; for thus also hast thou cursed others.
for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
23 All these things have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
24 [That which is] far beyond what was, and a great depth, who shall find it out?
and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
25 I and my heart went round about to know, and to examine, and to seek wisdom, and the account [of things], and to know the folly and trouble and madness of the ungodly man.
I cumpasside alle thingis in my soule, to kunne, and biholde, and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the errour of vnprudent men.
26 And I find her [to be], and I will pronounce [to be] more bitter than death the woman which is a snare, and her heart nets, [who has] a band in her hands: [he that is] good in the sight of God shall be delivered from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
And Y foond a womman bitterere than deth, which is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir.
27 Behold, this have I found, said the Preacher, [seeking] by one at a time to find out the account,
Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
28 which my soul sought after, but I found not: for I have found one man of a thousand; but a woman in all these I have not found.
and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
29 But, behold, this have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many devices.
I foond this oonli, that God made a man riytful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng of a word?
