1   VVhat nedeth a man to seke thinges greater then himself, wheras he is ignorant, what is profitable for him in his life, in the number of the dayes of his peregrination, and the time that passeth as a shadow? ^note Or who can tel him what shal be after him vnder the sunne?

2   Better is a good name then precious ointments: and the day of death, then the day of natiuitie. ^note

3   It is better to goe to the house of mourning, then to the house of banketing: for in that the end of al men is signified, and he that liueth thinketh what shal be.

4    ^noteAnger is better then laughter: because by sadnes of the countenance, the mind of the offender is corrected.

5   The hart of wisemen where sadnes is, and the hart of fooles where mirth.

6   It is better to be rebuked of a wiseman, then to be deceiued with the flaterie of fooles.

7   Because as the sound of thornes burning vnder a potte, so

the laughter of a foole: but this also is vanitie.

8   Oppression trubleth the wise, and shal destroy the streingth of his hart.

9   Better is the end of a speach, then the beginning. ^noteBetter is the patient man then the arrogant.

10   Be not quickly angrie, because anger resteth in the bosom of a foole.

11   Say not: What is the cause thinkest thou that the former times were better then they are now? for this maner of question is foolish.

12   Wisdom with ^note riches is more profitable, and doth more profite them that see the sunne.

13   For as wisdom protecteth, so money protecteth. But lerning and wisdom haue this much more, that they geue life to their owner.

14   Consider the workes of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.

15   In the good day enioy good thinges, and beware before of the euil day. For as this, so that also hath God made, that man finde not against him iust complants.

16   These thinges also I saw in the dayes of my vanitie: The iust man perisheth in his iustice, and the impious liueth a long time in his malice.

17   Be not iust too much: neither be more wise, then is necessarie, lest thou be come more dul.

18   Doe not impiously much: and be not foolish, lest thou dye not in thy time.

19   It is good that thou hold vp the iust; yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: because he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

20   Wisdom hath streingthned the wise aboue tenne princes of the citie.

21   For there is no iust man in the earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

22   But to al wordes also, that are spoken, do not applie thy hart: lest perhaps thou heare thy seruant cursing thee.

23   For thy conscience knoweth, that thou also hast cursed others.

24   I haue proued al thinges in wisdom. I haue sayd: I wil become wise, & it departed farder from me

25   much more then it was: and a depe profunditie, who shal finde it?

26   I haue vewed al thinges with my minde, that I might know, and consider, and might seke wisdom, and reason: and that I might know the impietie of the foole, and the errour of the imprudent:

27   and I haue found that a woman is more bitter then death, who is the snare of hunters, and her hart a nette, her handes are bandes. He that pleaseth God, wil auoide her: but he that is a sinner, wil be caught of her.

28   Loe this haue I found, sayd ^note Ecclesiastes, one thing and an other, that I might finde reason,

29   which yet my soule seketh, and I haue not found it. ^noteA man of a thousand I haue found one, ^note a woman of al I haue not

found.

30   Only this I haue found, that ^note God made man right, and he hath intangled himself with infinite questions. Who is such a one as the wise? and who hath knowne the resolution of ^note the word.

Previous section

Next section