1 A good name is better than precious ointment, And the day of death than the day of one’s birth;

Better a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

2 B etter 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 take it to heart.

Better to go unto a house of mourning, Than to go unto a house of banqueting, For that is the end of all men, And the living layeth unto his heart.

3 S orrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

Better sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

4 T he heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

The heart of the wise in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

5 I t is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools.

Better to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than a man to hear a song of fools,

6 F or like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.

For as the noise of thorns under the pot, So the laughter of a fool, even this vanity.

7 S urely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason, And a bribe debases the heart.

Surely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

8 T he end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Better the latter end of a thing than its beginning, Better the patient of spirit, than the haughty of spirit.

9 D o not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry, For anger in the bosom of fools resteth.

10 D o not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

Say not thou, `What was it, That the former days were better than these?' For thou hast not asked wisely of this.

11 W isdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun.

Wisdom good with an inheritance, And an advantage to those beholding the sun.

12 F or wisdom is a defense as money is a defense, But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.

For wisdom a defense, money a defence, And the advantage of the knowledge of wisdom, She reviveth her possessors.

13 C onsider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

See the work of God, For who is able to make straight that which He made crooked?

14 I n the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

In a day of prosperity be in gladness, And in a day of evil consider. Also this over-against that hath God made, To the intent that man doth not find anything after him.

15 I have seen everything in my days of vanity: There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

The whole I have considered in the days of my vanity. There is a righteous one perishing in his righteousness, and there is a wrong-doer prolonging in his wrong.

16 D o not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise: Why should you destroy yourself?

Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

17 D o not be overly wicked, Nor be foolish: Why should you die before your time?

Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

18 I t is good that you grasp this, And also not remove your hand from the other; For he who fears God will escape them all.

good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

19 W isdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city.

The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

20 F or there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin.

Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

21 A lso do not take to heart everything people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you.

Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

22 F or many times, also, your own heart has known That even you have cursed others.

For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

23 A ll this I have proved by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise”; But it was far from me.

All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, `I am wise,' and it far from me.

24 A s for that which is far off and exceedingly deep, Who can find it out?

Far off that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

25 I applied my heart to know, To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, To know the wickedness of folly, Even of foolishness and madness.

I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

26 A nd I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart nets and snares, her hands bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.

27 H ere is what I have found,” says the Preacher, “ Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,

See, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

28 W hich my soul still seeks but I cannot find: One man among a thousand I have found, But a woman among all these I have not found.

(that still my soul had sought, and I had not found), One man, a teacher, I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found.

29 T ruly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.”

See, this alone I have found, that God made man upright, and they -- they have sought out many devices.