Ecclesiastes, 7

1. Better a good name than costly oil, the day of death than the day of birth.

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

2. Better go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting; for to this end everyone comes, let the living take this to heart.

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.

3. Better sadness than laughter: a joyful heart may be concealed behind sad looks.

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

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

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

5. Better attend to the reprimand of the wise than listen to a song sung by a fool.

5. [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 under the cauldron is the laughter of fools: and that too is futile.

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

7. But being oppressed drives a sage mad, and a present corrupts the heart.

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

8. Better the end of a matter than its beginning, better patience than ambition.

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

9. Do not be too easily exasperated, for exasperation dwells in the heart of fools.

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

10. Do not ask why the past was better than the present, for this is not a question prompted by wisdom.

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

11. Wisdom is as good as a legacy, profitable to those who enjoy the light of the sun.

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

12. For as money protects, so does wisdom, and the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom bestows life on those who possess her.

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

13. Consider God's creation: who, for instance, can straighten what God has bent?

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

14. When things are going well, enjoy yourself, and when they are going badly, consider this: God has designed the one no less than the other so that we should take nothing for granted.

14. In 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.

15. In my futile life, I have seen everything: the upright person perishing in uprightness and the wicked person surviving in wickedness.

15. All [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.

16. Do not be upright to excess and do not make yourself unduly wise: why should you destroy yourself?

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

17. Do not be wicked to excess, and do not be a fool: why die before your time?

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

18. It is wise to hold on to one and not let go of the other, since the godfearing will find both.

18. [It 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.

19. Wisdom makes the wise stronger than a dozen governors in a city.

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

20. No one on earth is sufficiently upright to do good without ever sinning.

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

21. Again, do not listen to all that people say, then you will not hear your servant abusing you.

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

22. For often, as you very well know, you have abused others.

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

23. Thanks to wisdom, I have found all this to be true; I resolved to be wise, but this was beyond my reach!

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

24. The past is out of reach, buried deep -- who can discover it?

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

25. But I have reached the point where, having learnt, explored and investigated wisdom and reflection, I recognise evil as being a form of madness, and folly as something stupid.

25. I 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:

26. And I find woman more bitter than Death, she is a snare, her heart is a net, and her arms are chains. The man who is pleasing to God eludes her, but the sinner is captured by her.

26. And 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.

27. This is what I think, says Qoheleth, having examined one thing after another to draw some conclusion,

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

28. which I am still looking for, although unsuccessfully: one man in a thousand, I may find, but a woman better than other women-never.

28. Which 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.

29. This alone is my conclusion: God has created man straightforward, and human artifices are human inventions.

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