| 1 | A [good] name is better than precious 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: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart. |
| 3 | Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. |
| 4 | The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth. |
| 5 | It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools. |
| 6 | For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity. |
| 7 | Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart. |
| 8 | Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit. |
| 9 | Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools. |
| 10 | Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. |
| 11 | Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun. |
| 12 | For wisdom is a defence [as] money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, [that] wisdom maketh them that possess it to live. |
| 13 | Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked? |
| 14 | In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing [of what shall be] after him. |
| 15 | All [this] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous [man] that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his days] by his wickedness. |
| 16 | Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? |
| 17 | Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? |
| 18 | It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all. |
| 19 | Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] that are in a city. |
| 20 | Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. |
| 21 | Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee. |
| 22 | For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. |
| 23 | All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. |
| 24 | Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out? |
| 25 | I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness; |
| 26 | and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her. |
| 27 | See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, [searching] one by one to find out the reason; |
| 28 | which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found. |
| 29 | Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices. |