1: A [good] name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth. 2: It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart. 3: Vexation 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 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 the fool. This also is vanity. 7: Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart. 8: Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit. 9: Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools. 10: Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. 11: Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun. 12: For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live. 13: Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked? 14: In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him. 15: All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness. 16: Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17: Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? 18: It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all. 19: Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city. 20: Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. 21: Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. 22: For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. 23: All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. 24: Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out? 25: I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness; 26: and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her. 27: See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason; 28: which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found. 29: Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
