Ecclesiastes 7

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

1A good name is better than costly perfume. And the day a person dies is better than the day they were born.

2It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

2It is better to visit a house where people are sad about a death than a house having a party. Death comes to every person. Living people should think hard about that.

3Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

3Sorrow is better than laughing. A sad face can do the heart good.

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

4A wise person thinks about the house where people are sad. A foolish person thinks only about having fun.

5It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

5It is better to listen when a wise person corrects you. That beats listening to the songs of fools.

6For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

6Dry thorns crackle loudly under a cooking pot, then burn out fast. The laughing of a fool is just like that. This too is empty.

Note"Vanity" in the King James Bible does not mean being proud here. It means something empty, like a puff of breath that is gone in a second.

7Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

7Squeezing money out of people turns a wise man into a fool. Money paid in secret ruins a person's heart.

Note"Oppression" here means forcing money out of people. "Maketh a wise man mad" does not mean angry or crazy. It means it turns him into a fool. And the "gift" is a bribe, money paid in secret to get your way.

8Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

8The end of something is better than its beginning. A patient person is better than a proud one.

9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

9Do not let yourself get angry quickly. Anger settles down and stays inside fools.

10Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

10Do not ask, "Why were the old days better than these days?" It is not wise to ask that question.

11Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

11Wisdom is good, like money passed down in a family. It helps everyone who is alive.

Note"Them that see the sun" is an old way of saying "people who are alive."

12For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

12Wisdom keeps you safe, and money keeps you safe too. But wisdom is better, because it keeps its owner alive.

13Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

13Think about what God does. No one can straighten out what God has bent.

14In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

14When things go well, be glad. When things go badly, stop and think. God made both kinds of days. So no person can find out what will come next.

15All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

15In my short, empty life I have seen both of these things. A good man can die even while doing right. A bad man can live a long time while doing wrong.

16Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself ?

16Do not be too good, and do not act too wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

17Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

17Do not be very wicked, and do not act like a fool. Why should you die before your time?

18It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

18It is good to take hold of the first warning. Do not let go of the second one either. The person who honors God will keep both.

19Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

19Wisdom makes a wise person stronger than ten rulers in a city.

20For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

20There is no one on earth who always does good and never does wrong.

21Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

21Do not pay attention to every word people say. You might hear your servant saying bad things about you.

22For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

22You know in your own heart that you have often said bad things about others.

23All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

23I tested all of this with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise." But wisdom stayed far out of my reach.

24That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

24Whatever is out there is far away and very deep. Who can ever figure it out?

25I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

25I set my mind to learn and to search. I wanted to find wisdom and the reason things happen. I wanted to see how foolish wrongdoing is, and how silly and wild it is.

26And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

26I found something more bitter than death. It is the woman who is a trap. Her heart is a net, and her hands are chains. The man who pleases God gets away from her. The man who does wrong gets caught.

27Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

27"Look," says the Teacher. "I found this out by adding one thing to another to find the answer.

Note"The preacher" is the name this book uses for its writer. It means a teacher who gathers people together to listen.

28Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

28I kept looking, but I did not find what I wanted. Among a thousand people I found one honest man. Among all of them I found no such woman.

29Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

29This is the one thing I did find. God made people honest and straight. But they have gone looking for many tricky plans."