Ecclesiastes 7

1 A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.

Better a name, than precious ointment, —and the day of death, than the day of one’s birth.

2 It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to a house of feasting. For in the former, we are admonished about the end of all things, so that the living consider what may be in the future.

Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of banqueting, for, that, is the end of all men, —and, the living, should take it to his heart.

3 Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.

Better is grief than laughter, —for, by the marring of the face, amended is the heart.

4 The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.

The heart of the wise, is in the house of mourning, but, the heart of dullards, in the house of mirth.

5 It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.

Better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for any man to hear the song of dullards,

6 For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.

For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, —even this, then, was vanity.

7 A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.

For, oppression, maddeneth the wise, —and a bribe, destroyeth the understanding.

8 The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.

Better the latter end of a thing, than the beginning thereof, —Better a patient spirit, than a haughty spirit.

9 Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.

Do not be rash in thy spirit, to be indignant, —for, indignation, in the bosom of dullards, doth remain.

10 You should not say: “What do you think is the reason that the former times were better than they are now?” For this type of question is foolish.

Do not say, What hath happened, that, the former days, were better than these? for, not wisely, askest thou concerning this.

11 Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.

Good is wisdom, with an inheritance, —and a profit, to such as see the sun.

12 For as wisdom protects, so also does money protect. But learning and wisdom have this much more: that they grant life to one who possesses them.

For, a protection, is wisdom, and, a protection, is silver, —but, the advantage of knowledge, is, that, wisdom, giveth life to the possessors thereof.

13 Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.

Consider the work of God, —for who can straighten what he hath bent?

14 In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has established the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.

In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but, in the day of misfortune, consider, —Even the one equally with the other, hath God made, to the end man might find out—after him—nothing.

15 I also saw this, in the days of my vanity: a just man perishing in his justice, and an impious man living a long time in his malice.

Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, —Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.

16 Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.

Do not become so very righteous, neither count thyself wise beyond measure, —wherefore shouldst thou destroy thyself?

17 Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.

Do not be so very lawless, neither become thou foolish, —wherefore shouldst thou die, before thy time?

18 It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.

It is well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, —for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.

19 Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.

Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.

20 But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.

For, as for men, there is none righteous in the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

21 So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.

Moreover, not to all the words which men speak, do thou apply thy heart, —lest thou hear thine own servant reviling thee!

22 For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.

For truly, many times, thy heart knoweth, —that, even thou thyself, hast reviled others.

23 I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,

All this, have I proved by wisdom, —I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.

24 so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?

Far away, is that which hath been, —and deep, deep, who can find it out?

25 I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.

Resolved, I, in my heart, to know and search out, and to seek wisdom, and a conclusion, —and to know lawlessness [to be] stupidity, and folly to be madness.

26 And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.

I, could indeed find, to be, more bitter than death, the woman, whose heart is, snares and nets, and her hands, bonds, —whoso is pleasing before God, shall escape from her, but, he that sinneth, shall be captured by her.

27 Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation

See! this, have I found, saith the Proclaimer [counting] one by one, to find a conclusion;

28 which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.

what my soul still sought, yet I found not, —one man out of a thousand, have I found, but, a woman among all these, have I not found.

29 This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?

Only, see, this, have I found, That God made man upright, but, they, have sought out many devices.