Ecclesiastes 7
1 Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.
A good reputation is better than expensive perfume, and the day you die is better than the day you were born.
2 Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth [it] unto his heart.
It's better to go to a funeral than to a party. In the end, everyone dies, and those who are still alive should think about it.
3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for tragedy helps us by making us think.
4 The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.
Wise people think about the impact of death, while those who are fools only think about having a good time.
5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,
It's better to listen to criticism from a wise person than to hear the song of fools.
6 For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So [is] the laughter of a fool, even this [is] vanity.
The laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorn twigs burning under a pot—without sense and quickly over.
7 Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.
Extorting money from others makes wise people into fools, and accepting bribes corrupts the mind.
8 Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.
Completing something is better than starting it. Being patient is better than being proud.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.
Don't be quick to get angry, for anger controls the minds of fools.
10 Say not thou, 'What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.
Don't ask, “Why were the good old days better than now?” Asking such questions shows you are not wise.
11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.
Wisdom is good—it's like receiving an inheritance. It benefits everyone in life.
12 For wisdom [is] a defense, money [is] a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom [is], She reviveth her possessors.
For wisdom provides security, as does money, but the advantage for those who have wisdom is that they are kept safe and sound!
13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?
Think about what God does. If he makes something bent, you can't straighten it!
14 In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.
On a good day, be happy. When a bad day comes, stop and think. God made each day, so you don't know what will happen to you next.
15 The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging [himself] in his wrong.
Throughout my life I've seen so much that is hard to understand. Good people who die young despite doing what is right, and wicked people who live long evil lives.
16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?
Don't think you can make yourself right by a lot of religious observance, and don't pretend to be so wise. Do you want to destroy yourself?
17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?
On the other hand, don't decide to live an evil life—don't be a fool! Why die before your time?
18 [It is] good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.
You ought to keep in mind these warnings. Those who follow God will be sure to avoid both.
19 The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.
Wisdom gives a wise person greater power than ten town councilors.
20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.
There's not one good person in all the world who always does what is right and never sins.
21 Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.
Don't take to heart everything that people say, otherwise you may hear your servant talking badly about you,
22 For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.
for you know how many times you yourself have talked badly about others!
23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.
I have examined all this using the principles of wisdom. I told myself, “I will think wisely.” But wisdom eluded me.
24 Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?
Everything that exists is beyond our grasp—too deep for our understanding. Who can comprehend it?
25 I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.
I turned my thoughts to discover, investigate, and to find out more about wisdom and what makes sense. I wanted to know more about how stupid evil really is, and how ridiculous it is to be a fool.
26 And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart [is] nets and snares, her hands [are] bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.
I discovered something more horrible than death: foolishness like a woman who tries to entrap you, who wants to use her mind and hands to catch you and tie you up. Those who follow God will not be caught, but sinners will fall into her trap.
27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason
This is what I discovered after putting two and two together to try and find out what it all meant, says the Teacher.
28 (that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.
Although I really searched, I didn't find what I was looking for. People say, “I found one man among a thousand, but not one woman.”
29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.
But I did find this one thing: God made people to do what's right, but they have followed their own ideas.
