Ecclesiastes 7:1-17

¹A good name is better than precious perfume, and the day of one's death than the day of his 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 heart.

³Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the 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.

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

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

⁷Surely the gain of oppression maketh a wise man foolish, and a gift corrupteth the understanding.

⁸Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. Better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit.

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

¹⁰Say not, “What is the cause that the former days were better than these?” For thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹Wisdom is as good as an estate? yea, it hath an advantage over it for them that see the sun.

¹²For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence. But knowledge hath the advantage. For wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

¹³Consider the work of God! Who can make straight that which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴In the day of prosperity be joyful; but look for a day of adversity! for this also, as well as the other, hath God appointed, to the end that a man should not find out any thing which shall be after him.

¹⁵All this have I seen in my days of vanity. There are righteous men who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked men who live long in their wickedness.

¹⁶Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself over-wise! Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

¹⁷Be not overmuch wicked; neither be thou a fool! Why shouldst thou die before thy time?