1 A good name is better than oil of much worth. And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

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

2 I t is better to go to a house of sorrow than to go to a house of much eating. For this is the end of all men, and the living takes 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 T o have sorrow is better than to laugh because when a face is sad, the heart may become strong.

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 sorrow, while the heart of fools is in the house where there is fun.

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 listen to the sharp words of a wise man than to listen to 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 the laughing of a fool is like the sound of a thorn bush burning under a pot. This also is for nothing.

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

7 F or sure a bad power makes the wise man angry. And to get paid in secret for wrong-doing destroys the heart.

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

8 T he end of something is better than its beginning. Not giving up in spirit is better than being 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 be quick in spirit to be angry. For anger is in the heart 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 days of the past better than these?” For it is not wise to ask 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 with a gift passed down from father to son is good and a help to those who see the sun.

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

12 F or wisdom keeps one from danger just as money keeps one from danger. But the good thing about much learning is that wisdom keeps alive those who have it.

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

13 T hink of the work of God, for who is able to make straight what He has not made straight?

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

14 I n the day of well-being be happy. But in the day of trouble, think about this: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man can never know what is going to happen.

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 n the days of my life I have seen everything, but my life has been worth nothing. There is a right and good man who is destroyed while he is right and good. And there is a sinful man who lives long in his wrong-doing.

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 too right and good, and do not be too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?

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

17 D o not be too sinful, and do not be a fool. 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 take hold of one thing, and do not let go of the other. For the one who fears God will have both of them.

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 gives more strength to a wise man than ten rulers have in a city.

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

20 F or sure there is not a right and good man on earth who always does good and never sins.

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

21 D o not listen to all the things that are said, or you might 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 you know in your heart that many times you have cursed others.

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

23 I tested all this with wisdom, and 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 W isdom has been far away and hidden. Who can find it?

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

25 I turned my mind to know, to find out, and to look for wisdom and the reason of things, and to know how sinful it is to be foolish, and that being mad is foolish.

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 found that the woman whose heart is traps and nets, and whose hands are chains is more bitter than death. He who pleases God will get away from her. But the sinner will be taken in 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 “ See, I have found this out,” says the Preacher. “I have added one thing to another to find the reason,

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

28 w hich I am still looking for but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a woman among all these.

(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 S ee, I have found only this, that God made men right, but they have found many sinful ways.”

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