Ecclesiastes 7

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

A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better 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.

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart.

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

Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.

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 fools is 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.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than for a man to hear the song of fools.

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 fool. This also is vanity.

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

Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroys the understanding.

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

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

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

Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

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.

Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this.

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

Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent for those who 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 wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

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 make that straight which he has made crooked?

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, and in the day of adversity consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything after him.

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.

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

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

Don’t be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

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

Don’t be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die before your 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 good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.

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

Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

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

Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and doesn’t sin.

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.

Also don’t take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you hear your servant curse you;

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

for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

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

All this I have proved in wisdom. I said, “I will be wise;” but it was far from me.

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

That which is, is far off and exceedingly 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.

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is 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 find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.

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

“Behold, I have found this,” says Kohelet, “to one another, to find an explanation

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.

which my soul still seeks, but I have not found. I have found one man amongst a thousand, but I have not found a woman amongst all those.

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?

Behold, I have only found this: that God made mankind upright; but they search for many inventions.”