Ecclesiastes 7

A ^agood ^bname is better than precious ^bointment; and ^cthe day of death than the day of one’s birth. ²It 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 ^dlay it to his heart. ^3eSorrow is better than laughter: ^ffor by the sadness of the countenance ^gthe heart is made better. ⁴The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. ^5hIt is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. ⁶For ⁱas the crackling of thorns under a pot, ^kso is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

⁷Surely ^loppression ^mmaketh a wise man mad; and ⁿa gift destroyeth the heart. ⁸Better is ^othe end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and ^pthe patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. ^9qBe not hasty in thy spirit ^pto be angry: for anger ^rresteth in the bosom of fools. ¹⁰Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. ¹¹Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is ^sprofit ^tto them that see the sun.¹²For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the ^uexcellency of knowledge is, that wisdom ^wgiveth life to ^xthem that have it. ¹³Consider the work of God: for who can ^ymake that straight, which he hath ^yzmade crooked? ^14aIn the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, ^bto the end that man should find nothing after him.

¹⁵All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: ^cthere is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth ^dhis life in his wickedness. ¹⁶Be not righteous over much; ^eneither make thyself ^fover wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?¹⁷Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: ^gwhy shouldest thou die before thy time? ¹⁸It is good that thou shouldest take hold of ^hthis; yea, also from ⁱthis ^kwithdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. ^19lWisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten ^mmighty men which are in the city. ²⁰ⁿFor there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and ⁿsinneth not. ²¹Also ^otake no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear ^pthy servant curse thee:^22ofor oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³All this have I proved by wisdom: ^qI said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴That which is far off, and ^rexceeding deep, ^swho can find it out? ^25tI applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the ^ureason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: ²⁶and I find more ^wbitter than death the woman, whose heart is ^xsnares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but ^ythe sinner shall be taken by her. ²⁷Behold, this have I found, ^zsaith the Preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:²⁸which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: ^abone man among a thousand have I found; but a woman ^camong all those have I not found. ²⁹Lo, this only have I found, ^dthat God hath made man upright; but ^ethey have sought out many ^finventions.

VIII.