15 I have seen everything during my 1alifetime of futility; there is ba righteous man who perishes in his righteousness and there is ca wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness.

16 Do not be excessively arighteous and do not bbe overly wise. Why should you ruin yourself?

17 Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you adie before your time?

18 It is good that you grasp one thing and also not 1let go of the other; for the one who afears God comes forth with 2both of them.

19 aWisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 Indeed, athere is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins.

21 Also, do not 1take seriously all words which are spoken, so that you will not hear your servant acursing you.

22 For 1you also have realized that you likewise have many times cursed others.

23 I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, “I will be wise,” abut it was far from me.

24 What has been is remote and aexceedingly 1mysterious. bWho can discover it?

25 I 1adirected my 2mind to know, to investigate and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of folly and the foolishness of madness.

26 And I discovered more abitter than death the woman whose heart is bsnares and nets, whose hands are chains. cOne who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but dthe sinner will be captured by her.

27 “Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

28 which 1I am still seeking but have not found. I have found one man among a thousand, but I have not found a awoman among all these.

29 “Behold, I have found only this, that aGod made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”