Ecclesiastes 7

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Quid necesse est homini majora se quærere, cum ignoret quid conducat sibi in vita sua, numero dierum peregrinationis suæ, et tempore quod velut umbra præterit ? aut quis ei poterit indicare quod post eum futurum sub sole sit ?	1 A good name is better than good ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth.
2 Melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa, et dies mortis die nativitatis.	2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, For that is the end of every man, and the living should take it to heart.
3 Melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii ; in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit.	3 Sorrow is better than laughter, because when the face is sad the heart grows wiser.
4 Melior est ira risu, quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis.	4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi lætitia.	5 It is better to hearken to the wise man's rebuke than to hearken to the song of fools;
6 Melius est a sapiente corripi, quam stultorum adulatione decipi ;	6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the fool's laughter.
7 quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti. Sed et hoc vanitas.	7 For oppression can make a fool of a wise man, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Calumnia conturbat sapientem, et perdet robur cordis illius.	8 Better is the end of speech than its beginning; better is the patient spirit than the lofty spirit.
9 Melior est finis orationis quam principium. Melior est patiens arrogante.	9 Do not in spirit become quickly discontented, for discontent lodges in the bosom of a fool.
10 Ne sis velox ad irascendum, quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit.	10 Do not say: How is it that former times were better than these? For it is not in wisdom that you ask about this.
11 Ne dicas : Quid putas causæ est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt ? stulta enim est hujuscemodi interrogatio.	11 Wisdom and an inheritance are good, and an advantage to those that see the sun.
12 Utilior est sapientia cum divitiis, et magis prodest videntibus solem.	12 For the protection of wisdom is as the protection of money; and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13 Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sic protegit pecunia ; hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia, quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo.	13 Consider the work of God. Who can make straight what he has made crooked?
14 Considera opera Dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit.	14 On a good day enjoy good things, and on an evil day consider: Both the one and the other God has made, so that man cannot find fault with him in anything.
15 In die bona fruere bonis, et malam diem præcave ; sicut enim hanc, sic et illam fecit Deus, ut non inveniat homo contra eum justas querimonias.	15 I have seen all manner of things in my vain days: a just man perishing in his justice, and a wicked one surviving in his wickedness.
16 Hæc quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meæ : justus perit in justitia sua, et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua.	16 "Be not just to excess, and be not overwise, lest you be ruined.
17 Noli esse justus multum, neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas.	17 Be not wicked to excess, and be not foolish. Why should you die before your time?"
18 Ne impie agas multum, et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo.	18 It is good to hold to this rule, and not to let that one go; but he who fears God will win through at all events.
19 Bonum est te sustentare justum : sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam ; quia qui timet Deum nihil negligit.	19 Wisdom is a better defense for the wise man than would be ten princes in the city,
20 Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis ;	20 yet there is no man on earth so just as to do good and never sin.
21 non est enim homo justus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet.	21 Do not give heed to every word that is spoken lest you hear your servant speaking ill of you,
22 Sed et cunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accomodes cor tuum, ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi ;	22 for you know in your heart that you have many times spoken ill of others.
23 scit enim conscientia tua quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.	23 All these things I probed in wisdom. I said, "I will acquire wisdom"; but it was beyond me.
24 Cuncta tentavi in sapientia. Dixi : Sapiens efficiar : et ipsa longius recessit a me,	24 What exists is far-reaching; it is deep, very deep: who can find it out?
25 multo magis quam erat. Et alta profunditas, quis inveniet eam ?	25 I turned my thoughts toward knowledge; I sought and pursued wisdom and reason, and I recognized that wickedness is foolish and folly is madness.
26 Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem et considerarem, et quærerem sapientiam, et rationem, et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium :	26 More bitter than death I find the woman who is a hunter's trap, whose heart is a snare and whose hands are prison bonds. He who is pleasing to God will escape her, but the sinner will be entrapped by her.
27 et inveni amariorem morte mulierem, quæ laqueus venatorum est, et sagena cor ejus ; vincula sunt manus illius. Qui placet Deo effugiet illam ; qui autem peccator est capietur ab illa.	27 Behold, this have I found, says Qoheleth, adding one thing to another that I might discover the answer
28 Ecce hoc inveni, dixit Ecclesiastes, unum et alterum ut invenirem rationem,	28 which my soul still seeks and has not found: One man out of a thousand have I come upon, but a woman among them all I have not found.
29 quam adhuc quærit anima mea, et non inveni. Virum de mille unum reperi ; mulierem ex omnibus non inveni.	29 Behold, only this have I found out: God made mankind straight, but men have had recourse to many calculations.
30 Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quæstionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est ? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi ?