1 B etter a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

A good name is better than oil of much worth. And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

2 B etter to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth unto his heart.

It is better to go to a house of sorrow than to go to a house of much eating. For this is the end of all men, and the living takes it to heart.

3 B etter sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

To have sorrow is better than to laugh because when a face is sad, the heart may become strong.

4 T he heart of the wise in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

The heart of the wise is in the house of sorrow, while the heart of fools is in the house where there is fun.

5 B etter to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than a man to hear a song of fools,

It is better to listen to the sharp words of a wise man than to listen to the song of fools.

6 F or as the noise of thorns under the pot, So the laughter of a fool, even this vanity.

For the laughing of a fool is like the sound of a thorn bush burning under a pot. This also is for nothing.

7 S urely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

For sure a bad power makes the wise man angry. And to get paid in secret for wrong-doing destroys the heart.

8 B etter the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

The end of something is better than its beginning. Not giving up in spirit is better than being proud in spirit.

9 B e not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

Do not be quick in spirit to be angry. For anger is in the heart of fools.

10 S ay not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

Do not say, “Why were the days of the past better than these?” For it is not wise to ask this.

11 W isdom good with an inheritance, And an advantage to those beholding the sun.

Wisdom with a gift passed down from father to son is good and a help to those who see the sun.

12 F or wisdom a defense, money a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom, She reviveth her possessors.

For wisdom keeps one from danger just as money keeps one from danger. But the good thing about much learning is that wisdom keeps alive those who have it.

13 S ee the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

Think of the work of God, for who is able to make straight what He has not made straight?

14 I n a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

In the day of well-being be happy. But in the day of trouble, think about this: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man can never know what is going to happen.

15 T he whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging in his wrong.

In the days of my life I have seen everything, but my life has been worth nothing. There is a right and good man who is destroyed while he is right and good. And there is a sinful man who lives long in his wrong-doing.

16 B e not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Do not be too right and good, and do not be too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

17 D o not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

Do not be too sinful, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?

18 g ood that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

It is good that you take hold of one thing, and do not let go of the other. For the one who fears God will have both of them.

19 T he wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

Wisdom gives more strength to a wise man than ten rulers have in a city.

20 B ecause there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

For sure there is not a right and good man on earth who always does good and never sins.

21 A lso to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

Do not listen to all the things that are said, or you might hear your servant cursing you.

22 F or many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

For you know in your heart that many times you have cursed others.

23 A ll this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it far from me.

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me.

24 F ar off that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

Wisdom has been far away and hidden. Who can find it?

25 I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

I turned my mind to know, to find out, and to look for wisdom and the reason of things, and to know how sinful it is to be foolish, and that being mad is foolish.

26 A nd I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart nets and snares, her hands bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

And I found that the woman whose heart is traps and nets, and whose hands are chains is more bitter than death. He who pleases God will get away from her. But the sinner will be taken in by her.

27 S ee, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

“See, I have found this out,” says the Preacher. “I have added one thing to another to find the reason,

28 ( that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

which I am still looking for but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

29 S ee, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they -- they have sought out many devices.

See, I have found only this, that God made men right, but they have found many sinful ways.”