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Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth) 7
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Chapter 7
Prologue
1
Better a good name than costly oil, the day of death than the day of birth.
2
Better go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting; for to this end all men come, let the living take this to heart.
3
Better sadness than laughter, a severe face confers some benefit.
4
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, the heart of fools in the house of gaiety.
5
Better attend to a wise man’s reprimand than listen to a song sung by a fool.
6
For like the crackling of thorns under the cauldron is the laughter of fools: this is vanity, too.
7
For laughter makes a fool of the wise man and merriment corrupts the heart.
Sanctions
8
Better the end of a matter than its beginning, better patience than pride.
9
Do not be hasty with your resentment, for resentment is found in the heart of fools.
10
Do not ask why earlier days were better than these, for that is not a question prompted by wisdom.
11
Wisdom is a precious legacy, a boon for those on whom the sun shines.
12
For as money gives protection, so does wisdom; and the good that knowledge imparts is this: its possessor finds that wisdom keeps him safe.
13
Consider the work of God; who can set straight what he has made crooked?
14
When times are prosperous, enjoy your happiness; when times are bad, consider this: the one is God’s doing, as is the other, in order that man may know nothing of his destiny.
15
In this fleeting life of mine I have seen so much: the virtuous man perishing for all his virtue, for all his godlessness the godless living on.
16
Do not be over-virtuous nor play too much the sage; why drive yourself too hard?
17
Do not be wicked to excess, and do not be a fool; why die before your time?
18
The best thing is to hold the one and not let go the other, for both of these will happen to the God-fearing man.
19
Wisdom lends more strength to the wise than ten rulers in a city.
20
There is no virtuous man on earth who, doing good, is ever free of sin.
21
Another thing: pay no attention to telltales; you may hear that your servant has reviled you;
22
your own heart knows how often you have reviled others.
23
I have put all this to the test by wisdom, claiming to be wise; but wisdom has been beyond my reach.
24
Reality lies beyond my grasp; and deep; so deep, who can discover it?
25
Once again I was at pains to study wisdom and retribution, to see wickedness as folly, and foolishness as madness.
26
I find woman more bitter than death; she is a snare, her heart a net, her arms are chains; He who is pleasing to God eludes her, but the sinner is her captive.
27
This then you must know, says Qoheleth, is the sum of my investigation, putting this and that together.
28
I have made other researches too, without result. One man in a thousand I may find, but never a woman better than the rest.
29
This, however, you must know: I find that God made man simple; man’s complex problems are of his own devising.
Chapters of Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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