¹ A good name is better than precious perfume, and the day of one’s death than the day of his birth.

² It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to heart.

³ Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

⁵ It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

⁶ For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool. This also is vanity.

⁷ Surely the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.

⁸ Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. Better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.

⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰ Say not, "What is the cause that the former days were better than these?" For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹ Wisdom is as good as an estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for them that see the sun.

¹² For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

¹³ Consider the work of God! Who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful; but look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which shall be after him.

¹⁵ All this have I seen in my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their wickedness.

¹⁶ Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over-wise! Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

¹⁷ Be not overmuch wicked; neither be thou a fool! Why shouldst thou die before thy time?

¹⁸ It is good that thou shouldst take hold of this; yea, also, from that withdraw not thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape all those things.

¹⁹ Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.

²⁰ Truly there is not a righteous man upon the earth who doeth good and sinneth not.

²¹ Give no heed to all the words which are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee!

²² For many times thine own heart knoweth also that even thou thyself hast cursed others.

²³ All this have I tried by wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.

²⁴ That which is far off and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

²⁵ I applied my mind earnestly to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and intelligence, and to know wickedness and folly, yea, foolishness and madness.

²⁶ And I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, putting one thing to another to find knowledge.

²⁸ That which my soul hath hitherto sought, and I have not found, is this: a man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among a thousand have I not found.

²⁹ Lo, this only have I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.