A agood name
is better
than
a good
ointment
, And the bday
of one's death
is better than
the day
of one's birth
.
It is better to go
to a house
of mourning
Than
to go
to a house
of feasting
, Because
1that is the aend
of every
man
, And the living
2 btakes
it to 3heart
.
aSorrow is better
than
laughter
, For bwhen a face
is sad
a heart
may be happy
.
The 1mind of the wise
is in the house
of mourning
, While the 1mind
of fools
is in the house
of pleasure
.
It is better to alisten
to the rebuke
of a wise
man
Than
for one
to listen
to the song
of fools
.
For as the 1crackling of athorn
bushes
under
a pot
, So
is the blaughter
of the fool
; And this
too
is futility
.
For aoppression makes
a wise
man
mad
, And a bbribe
1corrupts
the heart
.
The aend of a matter
is better
than
its beginning
; bPatience
of spirit
is better
than
haughtiness
of spirit
.
Do not be 1 aeager in your heart
to be angry
, For anger
resides
in the bosom
of fools
.
Do not say, "Why
is it that the former
days
were better
than
these
?" For it is not from wisdom
that you ask
about
this
.
Wisdom along
with an inheritance
is good
And an aadvantage
to those who see
the sun
.
For awisdom is 1protection
just as money
is 1protection
, But the advantage
of knowledge
is that bwisdom
preserves
the lives
of its possessors
.
Consider the awork
of God
, For who
is bable
to straighten
what
He has bent
?
aIn the day of prosperity
be happy
, But bin the day
of adversity
consider
-- God
has made
the one
as well
as the other
So
that man
will cnot discover
anything
that will be after
him.
I have seen everything
during my 1 alifetime
of futility
; there
is ba righteous
man
who perishes
in his righteousness
and there
is ca wicked
man
who prolongs
his life in his wickedness
.
Do not be excessively arighteous
and do not bbe overly
wise
. Why
should you ruin
yourself?
Do not be excessively wicked
and do not be a fool
. Why
should you adie
before
your time
?
It is good that you grasp
one
thing
and also
not 1let
go
of the other
; for the one who afears
God
comes
forth
with 2both
of them.
aWisdom strengthens
a wise
man
more
than
ten
rulers
who
are in a city
.
Indeed, athere
is not a righteous
man
on earth
who
continually does
good
and who never
sins
.
Also, do not 1take
seriously
all
words
which
are spoken
, so
that you will not hear
your servant
acursing
you.
For 1you also have realized
that you likewise
have many
times
cursed
others
.
I tested all
this
with wisdom
, and I said
, "I will be wise
," abut it was far
from me.
What has been
is remote
and aexceedingly
1mysterious
. bWho
can discover
it?
I 1 adirected my 2mind
to know
, to investigate
and to seek
wisdom
and an explanation
, and to know
the evil
of folly
and the foolishness
of madness
.
And I discovered more
abitter
than
death
the woman
whose
heart
is bsnares
and nets
, whose hands
are chains
. cOne
who
is pleasing
to God
will escape
from her, but dthe sinner
will be captured
by her.
"Behold, I have discovered
this
," says
the Preacher
, "adding one
thing
to another
to find
an explanation
,
which 1I am still
seeking
but have not found
. I have found
one
man
among
a thousand
, but I have not found
a awoman
among all
these
.
"Behold, I have found
only
this
, that aGod
made
men
upright
, but they have sought
out many
devices
."