Ecclesiastes 7 (ASV)

¹A `good' name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.

²It 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.

³Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.

⁴The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

⁵It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

⁶For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

⁷Surely extortion maketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding.

⁸Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; `and' the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

⁹Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.

¹²For 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.

¹³Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴In 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.

¹⁵All 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.

¹⁶Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

¹⁷Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

¹⁸It 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.

¹⁹Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.

²⁰Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

²¹Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;

²²for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

²⁴That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?

²⁵I 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 that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.

²⁶And I find more bitter than death the woman 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.

²⁷Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, `laying' one thing to another, to find out the account;

²⁸which 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.

²⁹Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.