1A good name is better than precious ointment, 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 better.

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

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

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

7Surely extortion deprives a wise man of reason, and a bribe corrupts the mind.

8Better is the end of a thing than the beginning of it; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry; for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

10Do not say, "Why was it that the former days were better than these?" For you do not ask wisely in regard to this.

11Wisdom is good with an inheritance; Yea, a profit to those who see the sun.

12For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom which preserves the life of those who have it.

13Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what He has made crooked?

14In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider that God has made the one as well as the other, to the end that man should find nothing that will come after him.

15All 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 life in his wickedness. 16Do not be righteous over much, neither make yourself overly wise; why should you destroy yourself? 17Do not be overly wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? 18It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from them all.

19Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten mighty men who are in the city. 20For there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and does not sin. 21Also do not pay attention to every word that is spoken; lest you hear your servant curse you. 22For your own heart knows that you yourself have also cursed others many times.

23All this I have proved by wisdom; I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me. 24That which is far off and exceedingly deep, who can find it out? 25I set my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness; 26And what I find more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are like fetters. Whoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.

27"Behold, this I have found," says the Preacher, "counting one by one, to find out the sum, 28Which my soul still sought, but I do not find: one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29Lo, this only I have found, that God has made man to be upright, but they have sought out many devisings."