Chapter Text
7:1 Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?
7:2 For who knoweth what is good for man in the life and in the nomber of the dayes of the life of his vanitie, seeing he maketh them as a shadowe? For who can shewe vnto man what shall be after him vnder the sunne?
7:3 A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.
7:4 It is better to goe to the house of mourning, then to goe to the house of feasting, because this is the ende of all men: and the liuing shall lay it to his heart.
7:5 Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.
7:6 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.
7:7 Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.
7:8 For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.
7:9 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.
7:10 The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.
7:11 Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.
7:12 Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.
7:13 Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.
7:14 For man shall rest in the shadowe of wisedome, and in the shadowe of siluer: but the excellencie of the knowledge of wisedome giueth life to the possessers thereof.
7:15 Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?
7:16 In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man shoulde finde nothing after him.
7:17 I haue seene all things in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.
7:18 Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
7:19 Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?
7:20 It is good that thou lay hold on this: but yet withdrawe not thine hand from that: for he that feareth God, shall come forth of them all.
7:21 Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.
7:22 Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
7:23 Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.
7:24 For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.
7:25 All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.
7:26 It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?
7:27 I haue compassed about, both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisedome, and reason, and to knowe the wickednesse of follie, and the foolishnesse of madnesse,
7:28 And I finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is as nettes and snares, and her handes, as bands: he that is good before God, shalbe deliuered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
7:29 Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count: And yet my soule seeketh, but I finde it not: I haue found one man of a thousand: but a woman among them all haue I not founde. Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.