Wisdom and Folly Contrasted
1 A good name is better than precious perfume,
And the day of one’s death better 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 that [day of death] is the end of every man,
And the living will take it to heartandsolemnly ponder its meaning.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For when a face is sad (deep in thought) the heart may be happy [because it is growing in wisdom].
4 The heart of the wise [learns when it] is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is [senseless] in the house of pleasure.
5 It is better to listen to the rebuke of the wise manandpursue wisdom
Than for one to listen to the song of foolsandpursue stupidity.
6 For like the crackling of [burning] thorn bushes under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool;
And this too is vanity (futility).
7 For oppression makes a wise man foolish,
And a bribe corrupts the [good judgment of the] heart.
8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning;
Patience of spirit is better than haughtiness of spirit (pride).
9 Do not be eager in your heart to be angry,
For anger dwells in the heart of fools.
10 Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
11 Wisdom along with an inheritance is good
And an [excellent] advantage for those who see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a protectioneven asmoney is a protection,
But the [excellent] advantage of knowledge is that wisdom shieldsandpreserves the lives of its possessors.
13 Consider the work of God:
Who can make straight what He has bent?
14 In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider that
God has made the one as well as the other,
So that man will not find out anythingthat will beafter him.
15 I have seen everything during my [fleeting] days of futility; there is a righteous man who perishes in [spite of] his righteousness, and there is a wicked man wholives a longlifein [spite of] his wickedness.
16 Do not be excessively righteous [like those given to self-conceit], and do not be overly wise (pretentious)–why should you bring yourself to ruin?
17 Do not be excessivelyorwillfully wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?
18 It is good that you take hold of one thing (righteousness) and also not let go of the other (wisdom); for the one who fearsandworships God [with awe-filled reverence] will come forth with both of them.
19 Wisdom strengthens the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
20 Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth whoalwaysdoes good and who never sins.
21 Also, do not take seriously everything that is said, so that you will not hear your servant cursing you,
22 for you also know that you too have cursed others many times.
23 I have tested all this with wisdom. I said, “I will be wise [independently of God],” but true wisdom was far from me.
24 Whatever has been is far off, deeply remote and exceedingly mysterious. Who can discover it [for it is beyond the grasp of man]?
25 I turned aroundanddirected my heart to know, to investigate and to seek [skillful and godly] wisdom and the reason for things, and to know that wickedness is folly and that foolishness is madness [leading to stupidity and recklessness].
26 And I discovered that [of all irrational sins none has been so destructive in beguiling one away from God as immoral women for] more bitter than death is the woman whose heart is [composed of] snares and nets, and whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be taken captive by her [evil].
27 “Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “whileaddingone thing to another to find an explanation,
28 which I am still seeking but have not found. I have found oneman among a thousand [who pleases God], but I have not found [such] a woman among all these [a thousand in my harem].
29 Behold, I have found only this [as a reason]: God made man uprightanduncorrupted, but they [both men and women] have sought out many devices [for evil].”