Ecclesiastes 7
Berean Standard BibleTranslation
Berean Standard Bible
Clementine Vulgate, 1598
1A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
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?
2It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
2Melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa, et dies mortis die nativitatis.
3Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
3Melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii; in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit.
4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
4Melior est ira risu, quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis.
5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
5Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi lætitia.
6For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
6Melius est a sapiente corripi, quam stultorum adulatione decipi;
7Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
7quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti. Sed et hoc vanitas.
8The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
8Calumnia conturbat sapientem, et perdet robur cordis illius.
9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.
9Melior est finis orationis quam principium. Melior est patiens arrogante.
10Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
10Ne sis velox ad irascendum, quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit.
11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
11Ne dicas: Quid putas causæ est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt? stulta enim est hujuscemodi interrogatio.
12For wisdom, like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
12Utilior est sapientia cum divitiis, et magis prodest videntibus solem.
13Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
13Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sic protegit pecunia; hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia, quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo.
14In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
14Considera opera Dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit.
15In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
15In die bona fruere bonis, et malam diem præcave; sicut enim hanc, sic et illam fecit Deus, ut non inveniat homo contra eum justas querimonias.
16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
16Hæc quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meæ: justus perit in justitia sua, et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua.
17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
17Noli esse justus multum, neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas.
18It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.
18Ne impie agas multum, et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo.
19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
19Bonum est te sustentare justum: sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam; quia qui timet Deum nihil negligit.
20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
20Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis;
21Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
21non est enim homo justus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet.
22For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
22Sed et cunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accomodes cor tuum, ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi;
23All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
23scit enim conscientia tua quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis.
24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
24Cuncta tentavi in sapientia. Dixi: Sapiens efficiar: et ipsa longius recessit a me,
25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
25multo magis quam erat. Et alta profunditas, quis inveniet eam?]
26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared.
26[Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem et considerarem, et quærerem sapientiam, et rationem, et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium:
27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
27et 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.
28While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
28Ecce hoc inveni, dixit Ecclesiastes, unum et alterum ut invenirem rationem,
29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made men upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”
29quam adhuc quærit anima mea, et non inveni. Virum de mille unum reperi; mulierem ex omnibus non inveni.
no verse 30 in this text
30Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quæstionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?]
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