Ecclesiastes 7:1-16

¹A good name is better than precious oil; and the 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 lay it to his heart.

³Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart may be gladdened.

⁴The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

⁵It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

⁶For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool; this also is vanity.

⁷Surely oppression turneth a wise man into a fool; and a gift destroyeth the understanding.

⁸Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

⁹Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰Say not thou: 'How was it that the former days were better than these?' for it is not out of wisdom that thou inquirest concerning this.

¹¹Wisdom is good with an inheritance, yea, a profit to them that see the sun.

¹²For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.

¹³Consider the work of God; for who can make that straight, which He hath made crooked?

¹⁴In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God hath made even the one as well as the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

¹⁵All things have I seen in the days of my vanity; there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing.

¹⁶Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise; why shouldest thou destroy thyself?