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 betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.
2 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 will lay it to his heart.
It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.
5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;
6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.
7 Surely extortion maketh a wise man foolish; and a gift destroyeth the understanding.
Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.
8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.
10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.
11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance: yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.
12 For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.
13 Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath even made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out any thing [that shall be] after him.
In a good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis ayens hym.
15 All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing.
Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice.
16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.
18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
It is good, that thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necligent of ony thing.
19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers which are in a city.
Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.
20 Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.
21 Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;
22 for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.
23 All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;
24 That which is is far off, and exceeding deep; who can find it out?
and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?
25 I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness:
I cumpasside alle thingis in my soule, to kunne, and biholde, and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the errour of vnprudent men.
26 And I find a thing more bitter than death, [even] the woman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
And Y foond a womman bitterere than deth, which is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir.
27 Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher; [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account:
Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;
28 which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.
29 Behold, this only have I found, that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
I foond this oonli, that God made a man riytful; and he medlide hym silf with questiouns with out noumbre. Who is siche as a wijs man? and who knowith the expownyng of a word?
