Ecclesiastes 7:1-16

¹A good name is better than precious ointments (or A good name, or a good reputation, is better than expensive perfume); and the day of death is better than the day of birth.

²It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of a feast; for in that house the end of all men is warned (of), and a man living thinketh, what is to coming, (or for in that house the end of all people is warned of, and the living should think of what is to come).

³Ire is better than laughing; for the soul of a trespasser is amended by the heaviness of (his) cheer.

⁴The heart of wise men is where sorrow is; and the heart of fools is where folly gladness is.

⁵It is better to be reproved of a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattering of fools; (It is better to be rebuked by a wise person, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools;)

⁶for as the sound of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughing of a fool. But also this is vanity. (for the sound of thorns burning under a pot, is like the laughter of a fool. But this is also empty and futile.)

⁷False challenge troubleth a wise man, and it shall lose the strength of his heart. (Untrue words, that is, lies and slander, trouble a wise person, and they shall destroy the strength of his heart, that is, his resolve or his determination.)

⁸Forsooth the end of prayer is better than the beginning. A patient man is better than a proud man.

⁹Be thou not swift to be wroth; for ire resteth in the bosom of a fool. (Do not thou be quick to get angry; for anger lieth in the heart of a fool.)

¹⁰Say thou not, What guessest thou is the cause, that the former times were better than be now? for why such asking is fond (or for such questioning is foolish).

¹¹Forsooth wisdom with riches is more profitable, and profiteth more to men seeing the sun. (For wisdom is more profitable than riches, and profiteth all who see the sun.)

¹²For as wisdom defendeth, so money defendeth; but learning and wisdom have this moreover, that those give life to them that have them. (For like wisdom defendeth, so money defendeth; but learning and wisdom have this as well, that they give life to those who have them.)

¹³Behold thou the works of God, and see that no man may amend him, whom God hath despised.

¹⁴In a good day use thou (thy) goods, and before eschew thou an evil day, (or On a good day, enjoy thy good things, but shun thou them on an evil day); for God made so this day as that day, (so) that a man find not just complainings against him.

¹⁵Also I saw these things in the days of my nativity; a just man perisheth in his rightfulness, and a wicked man liveth much time in his malice. (And I have seen these things since the day of my birth or in all my empty and futile days; a righteous person perisheth in his righteousness, and a wicked person liveth a great deal of time in his malice.)

¹⁶Do not thou be just over much, neither understand thou more than is needful; lest thou be astonied. (Do not thou be too good, nor understand thou more than is useful; lest thou be regarded with contempt, or with derision.)