Ecclesiastes 7:2-16

²A good name is better than good oil; and the day of death than the day of birth.

³It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the banquet house: since this is the end of every man; and the living man will apply good warning to his heart.

⁴Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart will be made better.

⁵The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

⁶It is better to hear a reproof of a wise man, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

⁷As the sound of thorns under a cauldron, so is the laughter of fools: this is also vanity.

⁸for oppression makes a wise man mad, and destroys his noble heart.

⁹The end of a matter is better than the beginning thereof: the patient is better than the high-minded.

¹⁰Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger will rest in the bosom of fools.

¹¹Say not, What has happened, that the former days were better than these? for you do not enquire in wisdom concerning this.

¹²Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and there is an advantage by it to them that see the sun.

¹³For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver: and the excellence of the knowledge of wisdom will give life to him that has it.

¹⁴Behold the works of God: for who shall be able to straighten him whom God has made crooked?

¹⁵In the day of prosperity live joyfully, and consider in the day of adversity: consider, I say, God also has caused the one to agree with the other for this reason, that man should find nothing after him.

¹⁶I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man perishing in his justice, and there is an ungodly man remaining in his wickedness.