Ecclesiastes 7

¹What nede is it to a man to seke grettere thingis than hym silf; sithen he knowith not, what schal bifalle to hym in his lijf, in the noumbre of daies of his pilgrimage, and in the tyme that passith as schadowe? ether who may schewe to hym, what thing vndur sunne schal come aftir hym?

²A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe.

³It 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.

⁴Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer.

⁵The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is.

⁶It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis;

⁷for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte.

⁸Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte.

⁹Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man.

¹⁰Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool.

¹¹Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned.

¹²Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne.

¹³For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere.

¹⁴Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid.

¹⁵In 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.

¹⁶Also 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.

¹⁷Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed.

¹⁸Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin.

¹⁹It 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.

²⁰Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee.

²¹Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not.

²²But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee;

²³for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men.

²⁴I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was;

²⁵and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it?

²⁶I 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.

²⁷And 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.

²⁸Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit;

²⁹and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle.

³⁰I 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?

Ecclesiastes 7

¹A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

²It 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.

³Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

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

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

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

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

⁸Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

⁹Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

¹²For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

¹³Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

¹⁵All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

¹⁶Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

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

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

¹⁹Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

²⁰For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

²¹Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

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

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

²⁴That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

²⁵I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

²⁶And I find more bitter than death 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.

²⁷Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

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

²⁹Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.