Ecclesiastes 7

1 A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

A good name is better than oil of great price, and the day of death than the day of birth.

2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.

It is better to go to the house of weeping, than to go to the house of feasting; because that is the end of every man, and the living will take it to their hearts.

3 Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

Sorrow is better than joy; when the face is sad the mind gets better.

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

The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.

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

It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

Like the cracking of thorns under a pot, so is the laugh of a foolish man; and this again is to no purpose.

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

The wise are troubled by the ways of the cruel, and the giving of money is the destruction of the heart.

8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.

The end of a thing is better than its start, and a gentle spirit is better than pride.

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.

Be not quick to let your spirit be angry; because wrath is in the heart of the foolish.

10 Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

Say not, Why were the days which have gone by better than these? Such a question comes not from wisdom.

11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.

Wisdom together with a heritage is good, and a profit to those who see the sun.

12 For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

Wisdom keeps a man from danger even as money does; but the value of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to its owner.

13 Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

Give thought to the work of God. Who will make straight what he has made bent?

14 In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him.

In the day of wealth have joy, but in the day of evil take thought: God has put the one against the other, so that man may not be certain what will be after him.

15 All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness.

These two have I seen in my life which is to no purpose: a good man coming to his end in his righteousness, and an evil man whose days are long in his evil-doing.

16 Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

Be not given overmuch to righteousness and be not over-wise. Why let destruction come on you?

17 Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

Be not evil overmuch, and be not foolish. Why come to your end before your time?

18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.

19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city.

Wisdom makes a wise man stronger than ten rulers in a town.

20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

There is no man on earth of such righteousness that he does good and is free from sin all his days.

21 Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

Do not give ear to all the words which men say, for fear of hearing the curses of your servant.

22 For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

Your heart has knowledge how frequently others have been cursed by you.

23 All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

All this I have put to the test by wisdom; I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

24 Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

Far off is true existence, and very deep; who may have knowledge of it?

25 I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

I gave my mind to knowledge and to searching for wisdom and the reason of things, and to the discovery that sin is foolish, and that to be foolish is to be without one's senses.

26 and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

And I saw a thing more bitter than death, even the woman whose heart is full of tricks and nets, and whose hands are as bands. He with whom God is pleased will get free from her, but the sinner will be taken by her.

27 See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason;

Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,

28 which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

For which my soul is still searching, but I have it not; one man among a thousand have I seen; but a woman among all these I have not seen.

29 Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.

This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.