Ecclésiaste 7

JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Mieux vaut un nom que l'huile fine, et le jour de la mort que le jour de la naissance.	1 Why 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?
2 Mieux vaut aller à la maison du deuil qu'à la maison du banquet, puisque c'est la fin de touthomme; ainsi le vivant y réfléchira.	2 A good name is better than precious ointments, and a day of death is better than a day of birth.
3 Mieux vaut le chagrin que le rire, car avec un triste visage on peut avoir le coeur joyeux.	3 It 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.
4 Le coeur du sage est dans la maison du deuil, le coeur des insensés, dans la maison de la joie.	4 Anger is better than laughter. For through the sadness of the countenance, the soul of one who offends may be corrected.
5 Mieux vaut écouter la semonce du sage qu'écouter le chant de l'insensé;	5 The heart of the wise is a place of mourning, and the heart of the foolish is a place of rejoicing.
6 car tel le bruit des épines sous le chaudron, tel est le rire de l'insensé, et cela aussi est vanité.	6 It is better to be corrected by a wise man, than to be deceived by the false praise of the foolish.
7 Mais l'oppression rend fou le sage et un présent perd le coeur.	7 For, like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of the foolish. But this, too, is emptiness.
8 Mieux vaut la fin d'une chose que son début, mieux vaut la patience que la prétention.	8 A false accusation troubles the wise man and saps the strength of his heart.
9 Ne te hâte pas de t'irriter, car l'irritation habite au coeur des insensés.	9 The end of a speech is better than the beginning. Patience is better than arrogance.
10 Ne dis pas: "Comment se fait-il que le passé fut meilleur que le présent?" Car ce n'est pas lasagesse qui te fait poser cette question.	10 Do not be quickly moved to anger. For anger resides in the sinews of the foolish.
11 La sagesse est bonne comme un héritage, elle profite à ceux qui voient le soleil.	11 You 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.
12 Car l'abri de la sagesse vaut l'abri de l'argent, et l'avantage du savoir, c'est que la sagesse faitvivre ceux qui la possèdent.	12 Wisdom with riches is more useful and more advantageous, for those who see the sun.
13 Regarde l'oeuvre de Dieu: qui pourra donc redresser ce qu'il a courbé?	13 For 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.
14 Au jour du bonheur, sois heureux, et au jour du malheur, regarde: Dieu a bel et bien fait l'un etl'autre, afin que l'homme ne trouve rien derrière soi.	14 Consider the works of God, that no one is able to correct whomever he has despised.
15 J'ai tout vu, en ma vie de vanité: le juste périr dans sa justice et l'impie survivre dans sonimpiété.	15 In good times, enjoy good things, but beware of an evil time. For just as God has establish the one, so also the other, in order that man may not find any just complaint against him.
16 Ne sois pas juste à l'excès et ne te fais pas trop sage, pourquoi te détruirais-tu?	16 I 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.
17 Ne te fais pas méchant à l'excès et ne sois pas insensé, pourquoi mourir avant ton temps?	17 Do not try to be overly just, and do not try to be more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid.
18 Il est bon de tenir à ceci sans laisser ta main lâcher cela, puisque celui qui craint Dieu trouveral'un et l'autre.	18 Do not act with great impiety, and do not choose to be foolish, lest you die before your time.
19 La sagesse rend le sage plus fort que dix gouverneurs dans une ville.	19 It is good for you to support a just man. Furthermore, you should not withdraw your hand from him, for whoever fears God, neglects nothing.
20 Il n'est pas d'homme assez juste sur la terre pour faire le bien sans jamais pécher.	20 Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of a city.
21 D'ailleurs ne prête pas attention à toutes les paroles qu'on prononce, ainsi tu n'entendras pas tonserviteur te maudire.	21 But there is no just man on earth, who does good and does not sin.
22 Car bien des fois ton coeur a su que toi aussi avais maudit les autres.	22 So then, do not attach your heart to every word that is spoken, lest perhaps you may hear your servant speaking ill of you.
23 Tout cela, j'en ai fait l'épreuve par la sagesse; j'ai dit: "Je serai sage", mais c'est hors de maportée!	23 For your conscience knows that you, too, have repeatedly spoken evil of others.
24 Hors de portée ce qui fut; profond! profond! Qui le découvrira?	24 I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
25 J'en suis venu, en mon coeur, à connaître, à explorer et à m'enquérir de la sagesse et de laréflexion, à reconnaître le mal pour une chose insensée et la folie pour une sottise.	25 so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
26 Et je trouve plus amère que la mort, la femme, car elle est un piège, son coeur un filet, et sesbras des chaînes. Qui plaît à Dieu lui échappe, mais le pécheur s'y fait prendre.	26 I 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.
27 Voici ce que je trouve, dit Qohélet, en regardant une chose après l'autre pour en tirer uneréflexion	27 And 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.
28 que je cherche encore sans la trouver: un homme sur mille, je le trouve, mais une femme surtoutes, je ne la trouve pas.	28 Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
29 Seulement voici ce que je trouve: Dieu a fait l'homme tout droit, et lui, cherche bien descalculs.	29 which 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.
	30 This 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?