Ecclesiastes 7

1 Better [is] a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

A good name is better than costly perfume, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.

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 is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting, for mourning comes to all people at the end of life, so living people must take this to heart.

3 Better [is] sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

Grief is better than laughter, for after sadness of face comes gladness of heart.

4 The heart of the wise [is] in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of feasting.

5 Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than [for] a man to hear a song of fools,

It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than to listen to 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.

For like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so also is the laughter of fools. This, too, is vapor.

7 Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

Extortion certainly makes a wise man foolish, and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8 Better [is] the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better [is] the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

Better is the end of a matter than the beginning; and the people patient in spirit are better than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

Do not be quick to anger in your spirit, for anger resides in the hearts 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.

Do not say, “Why were the days of old better than these?” For it is not because of wisdom that you ask this question.

11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance, And an advantage [it is] to those beholding the sun.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good. It benefits those who see the sun.

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 protection as money can provide protection, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to whoever has it.

13 See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

Consider the deeds of God: Who can straighten out anything he has made crooked?

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.

When times are good, live happily in that good, but when times are bad, consider this: God has allowed both to exist side by side. For this reason, no one will find out anything that is coming after him.

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.

I have seen many things in my meaningless days. There are righteous people who perish in spite of their righteousness, and there are wicked people who live a long life in spite of their evil.

16 Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Do not be self-righteous, wise in your own eyes. Why should you destroy yourself?

17 Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

Do not be too wicked or foolish. Why should you 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.

It is good that you should take hold of this wisdom, and that you should not let go of righteousness. For the person who fears God will meet all his obligations.

19 The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

Wisdom is powerful in the wise man, more than ten rulers in a city.

20 Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

Do not listen to every word that is spoken, because you might hear your servant curse you.

22 For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

Similarly, you know yourself that in your own heart you have often cursed others.

23 All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it [is] far from me.

All this have I proven by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was more than I could be.

24 Far off [is] that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

Wisdom is far off and very deep. Who can find 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 heart to learn and examine and seek wisdom and the explanations of reality, and to understand that evil is stupid and that folly is madness.

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 found that more bitter than death is any woman whose heart is full of snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.

27 See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

“Consider what I have discovered,” says the Teacher. “I have been adding one discovery to another in order to find an explanation of reality.

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.

This is what I am still looking for, but I have not found it. I did find one righteous man among a thousand, but a woman among all those I did not find.

29 See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they — they have sought out many devices.

I have discovered only this: That God created humanity upright, but they have gone away looking for many difficulties.”