Ecclesiastes 7:17-29

¹⁷Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time?

¹⁸It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all.

¹⁹Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city.

²⁰For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.—

²¹Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee.

²²For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.—

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

²⁴Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?

²⁵Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness.

²⁶And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her.

²⁷Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, adding one to the other, to find experience,

²⁸What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find.

²⁹Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many sinful devices.