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¹ A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne.² It is better to goe to the house of mourning, then to goe to the house of feasting, because this is the ende of all men: and the liuing shall lay it to his heart.³ Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better.⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth.⁵ Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles.⁶ For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie.

⁷ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart.⁸ The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit.⁹ Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles.¹⁰ Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing.

¹¹ Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne.¹² For man shall rest in the shadowe of wisedome, and in the shadowe of siluer: but the excellencie of the knowledge of wisedome giueth life to the possessers thereof.¹³ Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?¹⁴ In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man shoulde finde nothing after him.¹⁵ I haue seene all things in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.¹⁶ Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?¹⁷ Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?¹⁸ It is good that thou lay hold on this: but yet withdrawe not thine hand from that: for he that feareth God, shall come forth of them all.¹⁹ Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie.²⁰ Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.²¹ Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee.²² For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others.

²³ All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me.²⁴ It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it?²⁵ I haue compassed about, both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisedome, and reason, and to knowe the wickednesse of follie, and the foolishnesse of madnesse,²⁶ And I finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is as nettes and snares, and her handes, as bands: he that is good before God, shalbe deliuered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.²⁷ Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count:²⁸ And yet my soule seeketh, but I finde it not: I haue found one man of a thousand: but a woman among them all haue I not founde.²⁹ Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.