A [good] name is better than precious ointment;{HR}And the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
[It is] better to go to the house of mourning,{HR}Than to go to the house of feasting:{HR}For that [is] the end of all men;{HR}And the living will lay it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter:{HR}For by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,{HR}But the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
[It is] better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise,{HR}Than to hear the song of fools.
For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,{HR}So [is] the laughter of the fool.{HR}This also [is] vanity.
Surely oppression maketh a wise man foolish;{HR}And a gift destroyeth the understanding.
Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:{HR}And the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit.
Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry:{HR}For anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
Say not thou, How is it that the former days were better than these?{HR}For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance:{HR}Yea, more excellent [is it] for them that see the sun.
For wisdom is a defence, [even as] money [is] a defence:{HR}But the excellency of knowledge [is, that]{HR}Wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
Consider the work of God:{HR}For who can make straight{HR}[That] which he hath made crooked?
In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider:{HR}God hath even made the one side by side with the other,{HR}To the end that man should not find out anything that shall be after him.
All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity:{HR}There is a righteous one that perisheth in his righteousness,{HR}And there is a wicked one that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing.
Be not righteous overmuch;{HR}Neither make thyself over-wise:{HR}Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
Be not overmuch wicked,{HR}Neither be thou foolish:{HR}Why shouldest thou die before thy time?
[It is] good that thou shouldest take hold of this;{HR}Yea, also from that withdraw not thine hand:{HR}For he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
Wisdom is a strength to the wise man{HR}More than ten rulers that are in a city.
Surely [there is] not a righteous man upon earth,{HR}That doeth good, and sinneth not.
Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken,{HR}Lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth{HR}That thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
All this have I proved in wisdom:{HR}I said, I will be wise;{HR}But it [was] far from me.
That which is far off,{HR}And exceeding deep,{HR}Who will find it out?
I turned about, I and my heart,{HR}To know and to search out,{HR}And to seek wisdom and the reason [of things],{HR}And to know [that] wickedness [is] folly,{HR}And [that] foolishness [is] madness:
And I find a thing more bitter than death,{HR}Even the woman whose heart [is] snares and nets,{HR}Whose hands [are] bands:{HR}Whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her;{HR}But the sinner shall be taken by her.
Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher,{HR}[Laying] one thing to another,{HR}To find out the account;
Which my soul still seeketh,{HR}But I have not found:{HR}One man among a thousand have I found;{HR}But a woman among all those have I not found.
Behold, this only have I found,{HR}That God made man upright;{HR}But they have sought out many inventions.