Catholic Public Domain Version
"And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her. "
— Ecclesiastes 7:27, Catholic Public Domain Version
“Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:”
“Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account; ”
“"Behold, I have found this," says the Preacher, "one to another, to find out the scheme;”
“The Teacher says: I discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things, item by item.”
“And I have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter's snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her.”
“Look! this I have seen, said the Preacher, taking one thing after another to get the true account,”
“Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:”
I have tested everything in wisdom. I have said: “I will be wise.” And wisdom withdrew farther from me,
so much more than it was before. Wisdom is very profound, so who shall reveal her?
I have examined all things in my soul, so that I may know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason, and so that I may recognize the impiety of the foolish, and the error of the imprudent.
And I have discovered a woman more bitter than death: she who is like the snare of a hunter, and whose heart is like a net, and whose hands are like chains. Whoever pleases God shall flee from her. But whoever is a sinner shall be seized by her.
Behold, Ecclesiastes said, I have discovered these things, one after another, in order that I might discover the explanation
which my soul still seeks and has not found. One man among a thousand, I have found; a woman among them all, I have not found.
This alone have I discovered: that God made man righteous, and yet he has adulterated himself with innumerable questions. Who is so great as the wise? And who has understood the meaning of the word?