Ecclesiastes 7:1-12 ▼

1 Better is a good name than good oil, And better is the day of one’s death than the day of one’s birth.

2 Better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting Because that is the end of all mankind, And the living puts this in his heart.

3 Better is vexation than laughter, For when a face is sad a heart may be merry.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the heart of fools is in the house of gladness.

5 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 sound of thorn bushes under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool; And this too is vanity.

7 For oppression gives a wise man over to madness, And a bribe destroys the heart.

8 Better is the end of a matter than its beginning; Better is patience of spirit than haughtiness of spirit.

9 Do not be eager in your spirit to be vexed, For vexation rests 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 a shadow of protection as money is a shadow of protection, And the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the lives of its masters.