1 B etter a name than good perfume, And the day of death than the day of birth.

¶ A good name is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

2 B etter 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.

It 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.

3 B etter sorrow than laughter, For by the sadness of the face the heart becometh better.

Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made whole.

4 T he heart of the wise in a house of mourning, And the heart of fools in a house of mirth.

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

5 B etter to hear a rebuke of a wise man, Than a man to hear a song of fools,

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.

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

The laughter of the fool is as the crackling of thorns under a pot, and this also (the laughter or prosperity of the fool) is vanity.

7 S urely oppression maketh the wise mad, And a gift destroyeth the heart.

¶ Surely oppression makes a wise man mad, and a gift destroys the heart.

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

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and he who has suffered in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

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

Do not be hasty in thy spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

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

Never say, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

11 W isdom good with an inheritance, And an advantage to those beholding the sun.

¶ Knowledge is good with an inheritance and is the excellency of those that see the sun.

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

For knowledge is a defence, and money is a defence; but wisdom excels in that it gives life to those that have it.

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

Consider the work of God; for who can make straight that which he has twisted?

14 I n 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.

In the day of good enjoy that which is good, but in the day of adversity open your eyes and learn: God also has made the one (the day of adversity) before the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

15 T he 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.

All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes for his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his days by his wickedness.

16 B e not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

Do not be too legalistic; neither make thyself over wise in thine own eyes: why should thou destroy thyself?

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

Do not be hasty to condemn, neither be thou foolish: why should thou die in the midst of thy labours?

18 g ood 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.

It is good that thou should take hold of this; and also from the other not withdraw thy hand; for he that fears God shall come through with everything.

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

Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.

20 B ecause there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

For surely there is not a just man upon earth that in doing good does not sin.

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

Also do not take to heart all the words that are spoken lest thou hear thy slave speak evil of thee:

22 F or many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

For thine own heart knows that thou thyself likewise hast spoken evil of others many times.

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

¶ All this I have proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise, but it was far from me.

24 F ar off that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

That which has been is far off and that which is exceeding deep, who can find it out?

25 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.

I applied my heart to know and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the madness of error;

26 A nd 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.

and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands are bonds; whosoever pleases God shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be held prisoner in her.

27 S ee, this I have found, said the Preacher, one to one, to find out the reason

Behold, this I have found, saith the preacher, weighing things one by one to find out the answer,

28 ( 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.

which my soul yet seeks, but I find not: one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found.

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

Behold, this only have I found: that God has made man upright, but they have sought out many perversions.