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¹ A good name is better than precious oil; 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: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. ³ Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made ^[a]glad. 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 to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man 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 [b]Surely extortion maketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding. ⁸ Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. ⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be ^[c]angry; for ^[d]anger resteth in the bosom of fools. ¹⁰ Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire ^[e]wisely concerning this. ¹¹ Wisdom ^[f]is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun. ¹² For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it. ¹³ Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked? ¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything that shall be after him. ¹⁵ All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing. 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 shall come forth from them all. ¹⁹ Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city. ^20 [g]Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. ²¹ Also ^[h]take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee; ²² for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. ²³ All this have I ^[i]proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴ That which ^[j]is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out? ²⁵ I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know ^[k]that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness. ²⁶ And I find more bitter than death the woman ^[l]whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. ²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, ^[m]laying one thing to another, to find out the account; ²⁸ which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. ²⁹ Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.