1. A good name is better than good ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2. It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting; for it is the end of every man; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3. Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good.
4. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of the stupid one is in the house of mirth.
5. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the stupid one. And this also is vanity.
7. For oppression makes a wise man mad; and a bribe destroys the heart.
8. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9. Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry; for vexation rests in the bosom of fools.
10. Do not say, Why was it that the former days were better than these? For you do not ask from wisdom concerning this.
11. Wisdom is good with an inheritance; yea, a gain to those who see the sun.
12. For wisdom is in a shadow; and silver is in a shadow; but the excellency of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it.
13. Look at the work of God; for who can make that straight which He has bent?
14. In the good day, be in good spirit, but also see in the evil day, that God has made one along with the other, so that man should not find anything after him.
15. All things I have seen in the days of my vanity; there is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who prolongs his life in his evil.
16. Do not be too much righteous, nor make yourself overly wise; why destroy yourself?
17. Do not be very evil, and do not be a fool; why should you not die in your time?
18. It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this do not let your hand rest; for he who fears God shall come forth with all of them.
19. Wisdom makes the wise stronger than ten rulers who are in the city.
20. For there is not a just man on the earth who does good, and does not sin.
21. Also, do not give your heart to all the words they speak, that you not hear your servant cursing you.
22. For also your own heart knows that you yourself have also cursed others many times.
23. All this I have tested by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24. That which is far off and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25. And I turned my heart about, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness:
26. and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets; her hands are bonds. He who is good before God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be captured by her.
27. Behold, I have found this, says the Preacher, counting one by one to find out the sum,
28. that my soul still seeks, but I have not found; one man among a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found.
29. See, this only I have found, that God has made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.