Ecclesiastes 7:16-26

¹⁶Be not over-righteous, nor show thyself too wise, why art thou desolate?

¹⁷Do not much wrong, neither be thou a fool, why dost thou die within thy time?

¹⁸It is good that thou dost lay hold on this, and also, from that withdrawest not thy hand, for whoso is fearing God goeth out with them all.

¹⁹The wisdom giveth strength to a wise man, more than wealth the rulers who have been in a city.

²⁰Because there is not a righteous man on earth that doth good and sinneth not.

²¹Also to all the words that they speak give not thy heart, that thou hear not thy servant reviling thee.

²²For many times also hath thy heart known that thou thyself also hast reviled others.

²³All this I have tried by wisdom; I have said, 'I am wise,' and it is far from me.

²⁴Far off is that which hath been, and deep, deep, who doth find it?

²⁵I have turned round, also my heart, to know and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and reason, and to know the wrong of folly, and of foolishness the madness.

²⁶And I am finding more bitter than death, the woman whose heart is nets and snares, her hands are bands; the good before God escapeth from her, but the sinner is captured by her.