Ecclesiastes 7

¹Why is it necessary for a man to seek things that are greater than himself, when he does not know what is advantageous for himself in his life, during the number of the days of his sojourn, and while time passes by like a shadow? Or who will be able to tell him what will be in the future after him under the sun?

²A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.

³It 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.

⁴Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.

⁵The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.

⁶It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.

⁷For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.

⁸A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.

⁹The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.

¹⁰Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.

¹¹You 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.

¹²Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.

¹³For 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.

¹⁴Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.

¹⁵In 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.

¹⁶I 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.

¹⁷Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.

¹⁸Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.

¹⁹It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.

²⁰Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.

²¹But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.

²²So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.

²³For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.

²⁴I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,

²⁵so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?

²⁶I 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.

²⁷And 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.

²⁸Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation

²⁹which 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.

³⁰This 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?

Ecclesiastes 7

¹What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

²A good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

³It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come.

⁴Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.

⁵The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.

⁶It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools.

⁷For as the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity.

⁸Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart.

⁹Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.

¹⁰Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.

¹¹Say not: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.

¹²Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage to them that see the sun.

¹³For as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.

¹⁴Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.

¹⁵In the good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God hath made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint.

¹⁶These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.

¹⁷Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.

¹⁸Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.

¹⁹It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

²⁰Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.

²¹For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

²²But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.

²³For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.

²⁴I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,

²⁵Much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall find it out?

²⁶I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:

²⁷And I have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter's snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her.

²⁸Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,

²⁹Which yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found.

³⁰Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?