Ecclesiastes 7

tov shem mishemen tov veyom hammavet miyyom hivvaledo

A good name is better than fragrant oil, and the day of death than the day of birth.

tov lalekhet el-bet-evel millekhet el-bet mishteh ba'asher hu sof kol-ha'adam vehakhay yitten el-libbo

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to a house of feasting; for that is the end of every mortal, and the living should take it to heart.

tov ka'as missekhoq ki-veroa panim yitav lev

Vexation is better than revelry; for though the face be sad, the heart may be glad.

lev khakhamim bevet evel velev kesilim bevet simkhah

The wise are drawn to a house of mourning, and the foolish to a house of merrymaking.

tov lishmoa ga'arat khakham me'ish shomea shir kesilim

It is better to listen to the reproof of someone wise than to listen to the praise of fools.

ki kheqol hassirim takhat hassir ken sekhoq hakkesil vegam-zeh havel

For the levity of the fool is like the crackling of nettles under a kettle. But that too is illusory;

ki ha'osheq yeholel khakham vi'abbed et-lev mattanah

for cheating may rob the wise of reason and destroy the prudence of the cautious.

tov akharit davar mereshito tov erekh-ruakh miggevah-ruakh

The end of a matter is better than the beginning of it. Better a patient spirit than a haughty spirit.

al-tevahel berukhakha likhos ki kha'as bekheq kesilim yanuakh

Don’t let your spirit be quickly vexed, for vexation abides in the breasts of fools.

al-tomar meh hayah shehayyamim harishonim hayu tovim me'elleh ki lo mekhokhmah sha'alta al-zeh

Don’t say, “How has it happened that former times were better than these?” For it is not wise of you to ask that question.

tovah khokhmah im-nakhalah veyoter lero'e hashamesh

Wisdom is as good as a patrimony, and even better, for those who behold the sun.

ki betsel hakhokhmah betsel hakkasef veyitron da'at hakhokhmah tekhayyeh ve'aleha

For to be in the shelter of wisdom is to be also in the shelter of money, and the advantage of intelligence is that wisdom preserves the life of the one who possesses it.

re'eh et-ma'aseh ha'elohim ki mi yukhal letaqqen et asher ivveto

Consider God’s doing! Who can straighten what has been twisted?

beyom tovah heyeh vetov uveyom ra'ah re'eh gam et-zeh le'ummat-zeh asah ha'elohim al-divrat shello yimtsa ha'adam akharayw me'umah

So in a time of good fortune enjoy the good fortune; and in a time of misfortune, reflect: The one no less than the other was God’s doing; consequently, mortals may find no fault with [God].

et-hakkol ra'iti bime hevli yesh tsaddiq oved betsidqo veyesh rasha ma'arikh bera'ato

In my own brief span of life, I have seen both these things: sometimes someone good perishes despite their goodness, and sometimes someone wicked endures despite their wickedness.

al-tehi tsaddiq harbeh ve'al-titkhakkam yoter lammah tishomem

So don’t overdo goodness and don’t act too wise, or you may be dumfounded.

al-tirsha harbeh ve'al-tehi sakhal lammah tamut belo ittekha

Don’t overdo wickedness and don’t be a fool, or you may die before your time.

tov asher te'ekhoz bazeh vegam-mizzeh al-tannakh et-yadekha ki-yere elohim yetse et-kullam

It is best that you grasp the one without letting go of the other, for those who fear God will do their duty by both.

hakhokhmah ta'oz lekhakham me'asarah shallitim asher hayu ba'ir

Wisdom is more of a stronghold to someone wise than ten magnates that a city may contain.

ki adam en tsaddiq ba'arets asher ya'aseh-ttov velo yekheta

For there is not one good person on earth who does what is best and doesn’t err.

gam lekhol-haddevarim asher yedabberu al-titten libbekha asher lo-tishma et-avdekha meqallekha

Finally, don’t pay attention to everything that is said, so that you may not hear your slave reviling you;

ki gam-pe'amim rabbot yada libbekha asher gam-[attah] (t) qillalta akherim

for well you remember the many times that you yourself have reviled others.

kol-zoh nissiti vakhokhmah amarti ekhkamah vehi rekhoqah mimmenni

All this I tested with wisdom. I thought I could fathom it, but it eludes me.

rakhoq mah-shehayah ve'amoq amoq mi yimtsa'ennu

[The secret of] what happens is elusive and deep, deep down; who can discover it?

sabboti ani velibbi lada'at velatur uvaqqesh khokhmah vekheshbon velada'at resha kesel vehassikhlut holelot

I put my mind to studying, exploring, and seeking wisdom and the reason of things, and to studying wickedness, stupidity, madness, and folly.

umotse ani mar mimmavet et-ha'isha asher-hi metsodim vakharamim libbah asurim yadeha tov lifne ha'elohim yimmalet mimmennah vekhote yillakhed bah

Now, I find more bitter than death the woman who is all traps, whose hands are fetters, and whose heart is snares. He who is pleasing to God escapes her, and he who is displeasing is caught by her.

re'eh zeh matsati amerah qohelet akhat le'akhat limtso kheshbon

See, this is what I found, said Koheleth, item by item in my search for the reason of things.

asher od-biqshah nafshi velo matsati adam ekhad me'elef matsati ve'isha vekhol-elleh lo matsati

As for what I sought further but did not find: I found only one [true] human being in a thousand, and among all these I did not find a [truly compatible] woman.

levad re'eh-zeh matsati asher asah ha'elohim et-ha'adam yashar vehemmah viqshu khishevonot rabbim

But, see, this I did find: God made human beings plain, but they have engaged in too much reasoning.