Qoelet 7

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa, et dies mortis die nativitatis.	1 Better a good name than costly oil, the day of death than the day of birth.
2 Melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii; in illa enim finis cunctorum hominum, et vivens hoc conferet in corde.	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.
3 Melior est tristitia risu, quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus.	3 Better sadness than laughter: a joyful heart may be concealed behind sad looks.
4 Cor sapientium in domo luctus, et cor stultorum in domo laetitiae.	4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, the heart of fools in the house of gaiety.
5 Melius est a sapiente corripi quam laetari stultorum canticis,	5 Better attend to the reprimand of the wise than listen to a song sung by a fool.
6 quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti. Sed et hoc vanitas.	6 For like the crackling of thorns under the cauldron is the laughter of fools: and that too is futile.
7 Quia calumnia stultum facit sapientem, et munus cor insanire facit.	7 But being oppressed drives a sage mad, and a present corrupts the heart.
8 “ Melior est finis negotii quam principium, melior est patiens arrogante ”.	8 Better the end of a matter than its beginning, better patience than ambition.
9 Ne sis velox in animo ad irascendum, quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit.	9 Do not be too easily exasperated, for exasperation dwel s in the heart of fools.
10 Nedicas: “Quid, putas, causae est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nuncsunt? ”. Non enim ex sapientia interrogas de hoc.	10 Do not ask why the past was better than the present, for this is not a question prompted by wisdom.
11 Bona est sapientia cumdivitiis et prodest videntibus solem.	11 Wisdom is as good as a legacy, profitable to those who enjoy the light of the sun.
12 Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sicprotegit pecunia; hoc autem plus habet eruditio, quod sapientia vitam tribuitpossessori suo.	12 For as money protects, so does wisdom, and the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom bestowslife on those who possess her.
13 Considera opera Dei: quod nemo possit corrigere, quod illecurvum fecerit.	13 Consider God's creation: who, for instance, can straighten what God has bent?
14 In die bona fruere bonis et in die mala considera: sicuthanc, sic et illam fecit Deus, ita ut non inveniat homo quidquam de futuro.	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.
15 Cuncta vidi in diebus vanitatis meae: est iustus, qui perit in iustitia sua,et impius, qui multo vivit tempore in malitia sua.	15 In my futile life, I have seen everything: the upright person perishing in uprightness and the wickedperson surviving in wickedness.
16 Noli esse nimis iustus neque sapiens supra modum! Cur te perdere vis?	16 Do not be upright to excess and do not make yourself unduly wise: why should you destroy yourself?
17 Ne agas nimis impie et noli esse stultus! Cur mori debeas in tempore non tuo?	17 Do not be wicked to excess, and do not be a fool: why die before your time?
18 Bonum est ut, quod habes, teneas, sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam,quia qui timet Deum, utrumque devitat.	18 It is wise to hold on to one and not let go of the other, since the godfearing wil find both.
19 Sapientia confortabit sapientem superdecem principes civitatis.	19 Wisdom makes the wise stronger than a dozen governors in a city.
20 Nullus enim homo iustus in terra, qui faciat bonumet non peccet.	20 No one on earth is sufficiently upright to do good without ever sinning.
21 Sed et cunctis sermonibus, qui dicuntur, ne accommodes cortuum, ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi;	21 Again, do not listen to all that people say, then you wil not hear your servant abusing you.
22 scit enim conscientiatua, quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.	22 For often, as you very wel know, you have abused others.
23 Cuncta tentavi in sapientia, dixi: “ Sapiens efficiar ”.	23 Thanks to wisdom, I have found all this to be true; I resolved to be wise, but this was beyond myreach!
24 Et ipsalongius recessit a me. Longe est, quod fuit; et alta est profunditas. Quisinveniet eam?	24 The past is out of reach, buried deep -- who can discover it?
25 Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem et considerarem et quaereremsapientiam et rationem et ut cognoscerem impietatem esse stultitiam et erroremimprudentiam.	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.
26 Et invenio amariorem morte mulierem, quae laqueus venatorumest, et sagena cor eius, vincula sunt manus illius. Qui placet Deo, effugieteam; qui autem peccator est, capietur ab illa.	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.
27 Ecce hoc inveni, dixitEcclesiastes, unum et alterum, ut invenirem rationem,	27 This is what I think, says Qoheleth, having examined one thing after another to draw some conclusion,
28 quam adhuc quaeritanima mea, et non inveni: Hominem de mille unum repperi, mulierem ex omnibus non inveni.	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.
29 Ecce solummodo hoc inveni: Quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipsi quaesierint infinitas quaestiones.	29 This alone is my conclusion: God has created man straightforward, and human artifices are humaninventions.