Ecclesiastes 7

¹What needeth a man to seek things greater than himself, whereas he is ignorant, what is profitable for him in his life, in the number of the days of his peregrination, and the time that passeth as a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

²Better is a good name than precious ointments: and the day of death, than the day of nativity.

³It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of banqueting, for in that the end of all men is signified, and he that liveth thinketh what shall be.

⁴Anger is better than laughter: because by sadness of the countenance, the mind of the offender is corrected.

⁵The heart of wisemen where sadness is, and the heart of fools where mirth.

⁶It is better to be rebuked of a wiseman, than to be deceived with the flattery of fools.

⁷Because as the sound of thorns burning under a pot, so the laughter of a fool: but this also is vanity.

⁸Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart.

⁹Better is the end of a speech, than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the arrogant.

¹⁰Be not quickly angry, because anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.

¹¹Say not: What is the cause thinkest thou that the former times were better than they are now? For this manner of question is foolish.

¹²Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and doth more profit them that see the sun.

¹³For as wisdom protecteth, so money protecteth. But learning and wisdom have this much more, that they give life to their owner.

¹⁴Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.

¹⁵In the good day enjoy good things, and beware before of the evil day. For as this, so that also hath God made, that man find not against him just complaints.

¹⁶These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: The just man perisheth in his justice, and the impious liveth a long time in his malice.

¹⁷Be not just too much: neither be more wise than is necessary, lest thou become more dull.

¹⁸Do not impiously much: and be not foolish, lest thou die not in thy time.

¹⁹It is good that thou hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: because he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

²⁰Wisdom hath strengthened the wise above ten Princes of the city.

²¹For there is no just man in the earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

²²But to all words also that are spoken, do not apply thy heart: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant cursing thee.

²³For thy conscience knoweth, that thou also hast cursed others.

²⁴I have proved all things in wisdom. I have said: I will become wise, & it departed farther from me

²⁵much more than it was: and a deep profundity, who shall find it?

²⁶I have viewed all things with my mind, that I might know, and consider, and might seek wisdom and reason: and that I might know the impiety of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:

²⁷and I have found that a woman is more bitter than death, who is the snare of hunters, and her heart a net, her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God, will avoid her: but he that is a sinner, will be caught of her.

²⁸Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, one thing and another, that I might find reason,

²⁹which yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. A man of a thousand I have found one, a woman of all I have not found.

³⁰Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with infinite questions. Who is such a one as the wise? And who hath known the resolution of the word.