71 A good name is better than a good ointment , And the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth . 2 It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting , Because that is the end of every man , And the living takes it to heart . 3 Sorrow is better than laughter , For when a face is sad a heart may be happy . 4 The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning , While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure . 5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man Than for one to listen to the song of fools . 6 For as the crackling of thorn bushes under a pot , So is the laughter of the fool ; And this too is futility .
7 For oppression makes a wise man mad , And a bribe corrupts the heart . 8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning ; Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit . 9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry , For anger resides in the bosom of fools . 10 Do not say , "Why is it that the former days were better than these ?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this .
11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good And an advantage to those who see the sun . 12 For wisdom is protection just as money is protection , But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its possessors . 13 Consider the work of God , For who is able to straighten what He has bent ? 14 In the day of prosperity be happy , But in the day of adversity consider - God has made the one as well as the other So e that man will not discover anything that will be after him. 15 I have seen everything during my lifetime of futility ; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness . 16 Do not be excessively righteous and do not be overly wise . Why should you ruin yourself? 17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool . Why should you die before your time ? 18 It is good that you grasp one thing and also not let e go e of the other ; for the one who fears God comes forth with both of them. 19 Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city . 20 Indeed , there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins . 21 Also , do not take seriously all words which are spoken , so that you will not hear your servant cursing you. 22 For you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others .
23 I tested all this with wisdom , and I said , "I will be wise ," but it was far from me. 24 What has been is remote and exceedingly mysterious . Who can discover it? 25 I directed my mind to know , to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation , and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness . 26 And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets , whose hands are chains . One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her. 27 "Behold , I have discovered this ," says the Preacher , "adding one thing to another to find an explanation , 28 which I am still seeking but have not found . I have found one man among a thousand , but I have not found a woman among all these . 29 "Behold , I have found only this , that God made men upright , but they have sought out many devices ."
