Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 7

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
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 theliving 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 dwel s 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 inquire 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 bestowslife 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 wel , enjoy yourself, and when they are going badly, consider this: God hasdesigned 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 wickedperson 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 wil 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 wil 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 wel 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 myreach!	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, Irecognise evil as being a form of madness, and fol y 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 unsuccessful y: one man in a thousand, I may find, but a womanbetter 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 humaninventions.	29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.