Geneva Bible (1599): Ecclesiastes 7

¹ Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man?

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?

³ A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.

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.

⁵ Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.

⁶ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.

⁷ Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.

⁸ For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.

⁹ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.

¹⁰ The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.

¹¹ Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.

¹² Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.

¹³ Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.

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.

¹⁵ Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?

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.

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.

¹⁸ Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?

¹⁹ Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?

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.

²¹ Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.

²² Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

²³ Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.

²⁴ For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.

²⁵ All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.

²⁶ It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?

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,

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.

²⁹ Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:

³⁰ 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.

³¹ Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.