Ecclesiastes 7:10-29

¹⁰Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.

¹²For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.

¹³Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?

¹⁴In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him.

¹⁵All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness.

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

¹⁷Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

¹⁸It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.

¹⁹Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city.

²⁰Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.

²¹Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.

²²For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

²⁴Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?

²⁵I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;

²⁶and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.

²⁷See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason;

²⁸which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.

²⁹Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.