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Ecclesiastes 7

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1 ἀγαθὸν ὄνομα ὑπὲρ ἔλαιον ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἡμέρα τοῦ θανάτου ὑπὲρ ἡμέραν γενέσεως αὐτοῦ 2 ἀγαθὸν πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πένθους ἢ ὅτι πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πότου καθότι τοῦτο τέλος παντὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ ὁ ζῶν δώσει εἰς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ 3 ἀγαθὸν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ γέλωτα ὅτι ἐν κακίᾳ προσώπου ἀγαθυνθήσεται καρδία 4 καρδία σοφῶν ἐν οἴκῳ πένθους καὶ καρδία ἀφρόνων ἐν οἴκῳ εὐφροσύνης 5 ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀκοῦσαι ἐπιτίμησιν σοφοῦ ὑπὲρ ἄνδρα ἀκούοντα ᾆσμα ἀφρόνων 6 ὅτι ὡς φωνὴ τῶν ἀκανθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν λέβητα οὕτως γέλως τῶν ἀφρόνων καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης 7 ὅτι ἡ συκοφαντία περιφέρει σοφὸν καὶ ἀπόλλυσι τὴν καρδίαν εὐτονίας αὐτοῦ 8 ἀγαθὴ ἐσχάτη λόγων ὑπὲρ ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀγαθὸν μακρόθυμος ὑπὲρ ὑψηλὸν πνεύματι 9 μὴ σπεύσῃς ἐν πνεύματί σου τοῦ θυμοῦσθαι ὅτι θυμὸς ἐν κόλπῳ ἀφρόνων ἀναπαύσεται 10 μὴ εἴπῃς τί ἐγένετο ὅτι αἱ ἡμέραι αἱ πρότεραι ἦσαν ἀγαθαὶ ὑπὲρ ταύτας ὅτι οὐκ ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπηρώτησας περὶ τούτου 11 ἀγαθὴ σοφία μετὰ κληροδοσίας καὶ περισσεία τοῖς θεωροῦσιν τὸν ἥλιον 12 ὅτι ἐν σκιᾷ αὐτῆς ἡ σοφία ὡς σκιὰ τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ περισσεία γνώσεως τῆς σοφίας ζωοποιήσει τὸν παρ' αὐτῆς 13 ἰδὲ τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι τίς δυνήσεται τοῦ κοσμῆσαι ὃν ἂν ὁ θεὸς διαστρέψῃ αὐτόν 14 ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθωσύνης ζῆθι ἐν ἀγαθῷ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακίας ἰδέ καί γε σὺν τοῦτο σύμφωνον τούτῳ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς περὶ λαλιᾶς ἵνα μὴ εὕρῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ μηδέν 15 σὺν τὰ πάντα εἶδον ἐν ἡμέραις ματαιότητός μου ἔστιν δίκαιος ἀπολλύμενος ἐν δικαίῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔστιν ἀσεβὴς μένων ἐν κακίᾳ αὐτοῦ 16 μὴ γίνου δίκαιος πολὺ καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς 17 μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολὺ καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρός ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου 18 ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀντέχεσθαί σε ἐν τούτῳ καί γε ἀπὸ τούτου μὴ ἀνῇς τὴν χεῖρά σου ὅτι φοβούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἐξελεύσεται τὰ πάντα 19 ἡ σοφία βοηθήσει τῷ σοφῷ ὑπὲρ δέκα ἐξουσιάζοντας τοὺς ὄντας ἐν τῇ πόλει 20 ὅτι ἄνθρωπος οὐκ ἔστιν δίκαιος ἐν τῇ γῇ ὃς ποιήσει ἀγαθὸν καὶ οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται 21 καί γε εἰς πάντας τοὺς λόγους οὓς λαλήσουσιν μὴ θῇς καρδίαν σου ὅπως μὴ ἀκούσῃς τοῦ δούλου σου καταρωμένου σε 22 ὅτι πλειστάκις πονηρεύσεταί σε καὶ καθόδους πολλὰς κακώσει καρδίαν σου ὅπως καί γε σὺ κατηράσω ἑτέρους 23 πάντα ταῦτα ἐπείρασα ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ εἶπα σοφισθήσομαι 24 καὶ αὐτὴ ἐμακρύνθη ἀπ' ἐμοῦ μακρὰν ὑπὲρ ὃ ἦν καὶ βαθὺ βάθος τίς εὑρήσει αὐτό 25 ἐκύκλωσα ἐγώ καὶ ἡ καρδία μου τοῦ γνῶναι καὶ τοῦ κατασκέψασθαι καὶ ζητῆσαι σοφίαν καὶ ψῆφον καὶ τοῦ γνῶναι ἀσεβοῦς ἀφροσύνην καὶ σκληρίαν καὶ περιφοράν 26 καὶ εὑρίσκω ἐγὼ πικρότερον ὑπὲρ θάνατον σὺν τὴν γυναῖκα ἥτις ἐστὶν θηρεύματα καὶ σαγῆναι καρδία αὐτῆς δεσμοὶ χεῖρες αὐτῆς ἀγαθὸς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς καὶ ἁμαρτάνων συλλημφθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ 27 ἰδὲ τοῦτο εὗρον εἶπεν ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστής μία τῇ μιᾷ τοῦ εὑρεῖν λογισμόν 28 ὃν ἔτι ἐζήτησεν ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ οὐχ εὗρον ἄνθρωπον ἕνα ἀπὸ χιλίων εὗρον καὶ γυναῖκα ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις οὐχ εὗρον 29 πλὴν ἰδὲ τοῦτο εὗρον ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς σὺν τὸν ἄνθρωπον εὐθῆ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐζήτησαν λογισμοὺς πολλούς

good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinks what is to come. 3 Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected. 4 The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth. 5 It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity. 7 Oppression troubles the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart. 8 Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous. 9 Be not quickly angry: for anger rests in the bosom of a fool. 10 Say not: What do you think is the cause that former times were better than they are now? For this manner of question is foolish. 11 Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and brings more advantage to them that see the sun. 12 For as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesses them. 13 Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he has despised. 14 In the good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God has made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint. 15 These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perishes in his justice, and a wicked man lives a long time in his wickedness. 16 Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest you become stupid. 17 Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest you die before your time. 18 It is good that you should hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not your hand: for he that fears God, neglects nothing. 19 Wisdom has strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city. 20 For there is no just man upon earth, that does good, and sins not. 21 But do not apply your heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps you hear your servant reviling you. 22 For your conscience knows that you also have often spoken evil of others. 23 I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me, 24 much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall find it out? 25 I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent: 26 And I have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter's snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleases God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her. 27 Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account, 28 which yet my soul seeks, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found. 29 Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he has entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? And who has known the resolution of the word?

1 Melius est nomen bonum quam unguenta pretiosa, et dies mortis die nativitatis. 2 Melius est ire ad domum luctus quam ad domum convivii; in illa enim finis cunctorum admonetur hominum, et vivens cogitat quid futurum sit. 3 Melior est ira risu, quia per tristitiam vultus corrigitur animus delinquentis. 4 Cor sapientium ubi tristitia est, et cor stultorum ubi lætitia. 5 Melius est a sapiente corripi, quam stultorum adulatione decipi; 6 quia sicut sonitus spinarum ardentium sub olla, sic risus stulti. Sed et hoc vanitas. 7 Calumnia conturbat sapientem, et perdet robur cordis illius. 8 Melior est finis orationis quam principium. Melior est patiens arrogante. 9 Ne sis velox ad irascendum, quia ira in sinu stulti requiescit. 10 Ne dicas : Quid putas causæ est quod priora tempora meliora fuere quam nunc sunt? stulta enim est hujuscemodi interrogatio. 11 Utilior est sapientia cum divitiis, et magis prodest videntibus solem. 12 Sicut enim protegit sapientia, sic protegit pecunia; hoc autem plus habet eruditio et sapientia, quod vitam tribuunt possessori suo. 13 Considera opera Dei, quod nemo possit corrigere quem ille despexerit. 14 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 Hæc quoque vidi in diebus vanitatis meæ : justus perit in justitia sua, et impius multo vivit tempore in malitia sua. 16 Noli esse justus multum, neque plus sapias quam necesse est, ne obstupescas. 17 Ne impie agas multum, et noli esse stultus, ne moriaris in tempore non tuo. 18 Bonum est te sustentare justum : sed et ab illo ne subtrahas manum tuam; quia qui timet Deum nihil negligit. 19 Sapientia confortavit sapientem super decem principes civitatis; 20 non est enim homo justus in terra qui faciat bonum et non peccet. 21 Sed et cunctis sermonibus qui dicuntur ne accomodes cor tuum, ne forte audias servum tuum maledicentem tibi; 22 scit enim conscientia tua quia et tu crebro maledixisti aliis. 23 Cuncta tentavi in sapientia. Dixi : Sapiens efficiar : et ipsa longius recessit a me, 24 multo magis quam erat. Et alta profunditas, quis inveniet eam? 25 Lustravi universa animo meo, ut scirem et considerarem, et quærerem sapientiam, et rationem, et ut cognoscerem impietatem stulti, et errorem imprudentium : 26 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 Ecce hoc inveni, dixit Ecclesiastes, unum et alterum ut invenirem rationem, 28 quam adhuc quærit anima mea, et non inveni. Virum de mille unum reperi; mulierem ex omnibus non inveni. 29 Solummodo hoc inveni, quod fecerit Deus hominem rectum, et ipse se infinitis miscuerit quæstionibus. Quis talis ut sapiens est? et quis cognovit solutionem verbi?

Anger... That is, correction, or just wrath and zeal against evil. (Challoner)
Over just... Viz., By an excessive rigour in censuring the ways of God in bearing with the wicked. (Challoner)
Be not overmuch wicked... That is, lest by the greatness of your sin you leave no room for mercy. (Challoner)
Of the word... That is, of this obscure and difficult matter. (Challoner)