14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath [¹]set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
[¹] Hebrew made.
In the day then of good, accept the good; in the day of distress, discern: for the one indeed hath the Almighty appointed as the counterpart of the other, for the very purpose that Humanity should by no means be able to discover anything of what is to result.
(14.) In a day of good (טובה, the abstract here having the meaning of ‘prosperity’) be in good (which the LXX. render, ‘live in good,’ and as the root is repeated, we must render, that good), and in a day of (with the meaning, ‘and in a time also of’) evil (abstract as above) see (emphatic, not only from the alliteration of רעה and ראה, but from its being the same word at the end as at the beginning, verse 13). Moreover, with respect to this, to the counterpart (לעמת, [see chapter v. 16 (15)], where this word is discussed) of that makes (i.e. so works) the Deity, for the reason (על דברת occurs chapters iii. 18, vii. 14, viii. 2, and in the same sense ‘to the intent that’) he might not (contract relative, with the negative, and involving its usual subjunctive meaning) find even humanity, his future (i.e. that which comes after him or succeeds, whether this be due to his own labour or otherwise) anything (which is reserved to the end of the sentence, and is equivalent to ‘anything at all.’ Thus, then, the transition to the next clause is quite manifest. It follows of course that this uncertainty as to the result applies even in the case of virtue and vice: this, therefore, is the topic next discussed).
15 All 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.
With regard to the whole of life, then, I have observed during the days of my evanescent existence that there may be a just man who perishes by reason of his justice, and there may be an impious man who prolongs his existence by his wrong.
(15.) With regard to the whole (with את and the article, ‘with regard to the whole of life’ is therefore the meaning, as so often in this book——see [chapter i. 2]) I have observed in the days of my vanity (with the idea, therefore, ‘so far as my short experience goes’) that there is (a person or thing) made right, yet perishing in his righteousness, and that there is (as יש is repeated it becomes emphatic, and thus we must render ‘there also is’) an impious caused to be prolonging (himself) in his mischief (i.e. the hiphil participle gives the idea that this prolongation of life by evil means, or the like, is due to the wickedness itself: it is again the problem of successful impiety; for the word מאריך compare Exodus xx. 12).