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¹ A good name is better than good 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; for it is the end of every man; and the living will lay it to his heart.³ Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of the stupid one 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 stupid one. And this also is vanity.

⁷ For oppression makes a wise man mad; and a bribe destroys the heart.⁸ Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.⁹ Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry; for vexation rests in the bosom of fools.¹⁰ Do not say, Why was it that the former days were better than these? For you do not ask from wisdom concerning this.

¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance; yea, a gain to those who see the sun.¹² For wisdom is in a shadow; and silver is in a shadow; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.¹³ Look at the work of God; for who can make that straight which He has bent?¹⁴ In the good day, be in good spirit , but also see in the evil day, that God has made one along with the other, so that man should not find anything after him.¹⁵ All things I have seen in the days of my vanity; there is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who prolongs his life in his evil.¹⁶ Do not be too much righteous, nor make yourself overly wise; why destroy yourself?¹⁷ Do not be very evil, and do not be a fool; why should you not die in your time?¹⁸ It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this do not let your hand rest; for he who fears God shall come forth with all of them.¹⁹ Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten rulers who are in the city.²⁰ For there is not a just man on the earth who does good, and does not sin.²¹ Also, do not give your heart to all the words they speak, that you not hear your servant cursing you.²² For also your own heart knows that you yourself have also cursed others many times.

²³ All this I have tested 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 And I turned my heart about, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things , and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness:²⁶ and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets; her hands are bonds. He who is good before God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be captured by her.²⁷ Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, counting one by one to find out the sum,²⁸ that my soul still seeks, but I have not found; one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found.²⁹ See, this only I have found, that God has made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.