12FOR WHO? [IS] KNOWING WHAT? [IS] GOOD FOR <THE> PERSON IN <THE> LIFE [THE] NUMBER OF [THE] DAYS OF [THE] LIFE OF FUTILITY HIS AND HE SPENDS THEM LIKE <THE> SHADOW THAT WHO? WILL HE TELL TO <THE> PERSON WHAT? WILL IT BE AFTER HIM UNDER THE SUN 12For who knows what is good for a man during the few days in which he passes through his fleeting life like a shadow? Who can tell a man what will come after him under the sun?
1[IS] GOOD A NAME MORE THAN OINTMENT GOOD AND [THE] DAY OF <THE> DEATH MORE THAN [THE] DAY OF BEING BORN HE The Value of Wisdom 1A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.
2[IS] GOOD TO GO TO A HOUSE OF MOURNING MORE THAN TO GO TO A HOUSE OF A FEAST IN THAT THIS [IS] [THE] END OF EVERY <THE> PERSON AND THE LIVING PERSON HE WILL GIVE TO HEART HIS 2It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.
3[IS] GOOD VEXATION MORE THAN LAUGHTER FOR BY SADNESS OF FACE IT WILL BE GOOD A HEART 3Sorrow is better than laughter, for a sad countenance is good for the heart.
4[THE] HEART OF WISE PEOPLE [IS] IN A HOUSE OF MOURNING AND [THE] HEART OF FOOLS [IS] IN A HOUSE OF GLADNESS 4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
5[IS] GOOD TO LISTEN TO [THE] REBUKE OF A WISE [PERSON] MORE THAN SOMEONE [WHO] LISTENS TO [THE] SONG OF FOOLS 5It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
6FOR LIKE [THE] SOUND OF <THE> THORNS UNDER THE POT SO [THE] LAUGHTER OF THE FOOL AND ALSO THIS [IS] FUTILITY 6For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.
7FOR <THE> OPPRESSION IT WILL MAKE LOOK FOOLISH A WISE [PERSON] SO IT MAY DESTROY <OBJ.> A HEART A BRIBE 7Surely extortion turns a wise man into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8[IS] GOOD [THE] END OF A MATTER MORE THAN BEGINNING ITS [IS] GOOD A [PERSON] PATIENT OF SPIRIT MORE THAN A [PERSON] PROUD OF SPIRIT 8The end of a matter is better than the beginning, and a patient spirit is better than a proud one.
9MAY NOT YOU BE HASTY IN SPIRIT YOUR TO BECOME ANGRY FOR ANGER IN [THE] BOSOM OF FOOLS IT SETTLES 9Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger settles in the lap of a fool.*NoteCloseHebrew in the bosom of fools
10MAY NOT YOU SAY WHY? WAS IT THAT THE DAYS <THE> FORMER THEY WERE GOOD MORE THAN THESE FOR NOT FROM WISDOM YOU HAVE ASKED ON THIS 10Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is unwise of you to ask about this.
11[IS] GOOD WISDOM WITH AN INHERITANCE AND [IS] AN ADVANTAGE TO [THOSE WHO] SEE <OF> THE SUN 11Wisdom, like an inheritance, is good, and it benefits those who see the sun.
12FOR [IS] <IN> A SHADE <THE> WISDOM [IS] <IN> A SHADE <THE> MONEY AND [THE] ADVANTAGE OF KNOWLEDGE <THE> WISDOM IT PRESERVES ALIVE OWNERS ITS 12For wisdom like money, is a shelter, and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
13CONSIDER <OBJ.> [THE] WORK OF <THE> GOD FOR WHO? IS HE ABLE TO STRAIGHTEN <OBJ.> [THAT] WHICH HE HAS BENT IT 13Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?
14ON A DAY OF GOOD BE IN GOOD AND ON A DAY OF ADVERSITY CONSIDER ALSO <OBJ.> THIS <TO> EXACTLY AS THIS HE HAS MADE <THE> GOD ON REASON THAT NOT HE WILL FIND OUT <THE> HUMANKIND AFTER HIM ANYTHING 14In the day of prosperity, be joyful, but in the day of adversity, consider this: God has made one of these along with the other, so that a man cannot discover anything that will come after him.
15<OBJ.> <THE> EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN IN [THE] DAYS OF FUTILITY MY THERE [IS] A RIGHTEOUS [PERSON] [WHO] PERISHES IN RIGHTEOUSNESS HIS AND THERE [IS] A WICKED [PERSON] [WHO] PROLONGS IN EVIL HIS The Limits of Human Wisdom 15In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.
16MAY NOT YOU BE RIGHTEOUS GREATLY AND MAY NOT YOU MAKE YOURSELF WISE EXCESS <TO> WHY? WILL YOU DESTROY YOURSELF 16Do not be overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?
17MAY NOT YOU BE WICKED GREATLY AND MAY NOT YOU BE A FOOL <TO> WHY? WILL YOU DIE AT NOT TIME YOUR 17Do not be excessively wicked, and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18[IS] GOOD THAT YOU WILL TAKE HOLD ON THIS AND ALSO FROM THIS MAY NOT YOU GIVE REST TO <OBJ.> HAND YOUR FOR [ONE] FEARING <OF> GOD HE WILL GO OUT <OBJ.> ALL OF THEM 18It is good to grasp the one and not let the other slip from your hand. For he who fears God will follow both warnings.*NoteCloseOr will avoid all extremes
19<THE> WISDOM IT GIVES STRENGTH TO THE WISE [PERSON] MORE THAN TEN RULERS WHO THEY ARE IN THE CITY 19Wisdom makes the wise man stronger than ten rulers in a city.
20FOR A PERSON THERE NOT [IS] RIGHTEOUS [PERSON] ON THE EARTH WHO HE DOES GOOD AND NOT HE SINS 20Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
21ALSO TO ALL THE WORDS WHICH PEOPLE SPEAK MAY NOT YOU GIVE HEART YOUR THAT NOT YOU WILL HEAR <OBJ.> SERVANT YOUR CURSING YOU 21Do not pay attention to every word that is spoken, or you may hear your servant cursing you.
22FOR ALSO TIMES MANY IT KNOWS HEART YOUR THAT ALSO YOU YOU HAVE CURSED OTHERS 22For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.
23ALL THIS I HAVE PUT TO [THE] TEST BY <THE> WISDOM I SAID LET ME BE WISE AND IT [WAS] FAR FROM ME 23All this I tested by wisdom, saying, “I resolve to be wise.” But it was beyond me.
24[IS] FAR AWAY WHATEVER [THAT] WHICH <IT> HAS BEEN AND DEEP DEEP WHO? WILL HE FIND OUT IT 24What exists is out of reach and very deep. Who can fathom it?
25I TURNED I <AND> HEART MY TO KNOW AND TO EXAMINE AND TO SEEK WISDOM AND AN EXPLANATION AND TO KNOW WICKEDNESS STUPIDITY AND THE FOLLY MADNESS 25I directed my mind to understand, to explore, to search out wisdom and explanations, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the folly of madness.
26AND [WAS] FINDING I BITTER MORE THAN DEATH <OBJ.> THE WOMAN WHO SHE [IS] SNARES AND [IS] NETS HEART HER [ARE] FETTERS HANDS HER A [PERSON] GOOD <TO> BEFORE <THE> GOD HE ESCAPES FROM HER AND A SINNER HE IS CAPTURED BY <THE> HER 26And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a net, and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is ensnared
27CONSIDER THIS I HAVE FOUND SHE SAID TEACHER ONE TO ONE TO FIND AN EXPLANATION 27“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.
28WHICH AGAIN IT HAS SOUGHT SELF MY AND NOT I HAVE FOUND A MAN ONE OF A THOUSAND I HAVE FOUND AND A WOMAN AMONG ALL THESE NOT I HAVE FOUND 28While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.
29<TO> ONLY CONSIDER THIS I HAVE FOUND THAT HE MADE <THE> GOD <OBJ.> <THE> HUMANKIND UPRIGHT AND THEY THEY HAVE SOUGHT SCHEMES MANY 29Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”