Ecclesiastes:7

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* A good name is better than precious ointment , And the day of death than the day of one 's birth ; * Better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of feasting , For that is the end of all men ; And the living will take it to heart . * Sorrow is better than laughter , For by a sad countenance the heart is made better . * The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning , But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth . * It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools . * For like the crackling of thorns under a pot , So is the laughter of the fool . This also is vanity . * Surely oppression destroys a wise man 's reason , And a bribe debases the heart . * The end of a thing is better than its beginning ; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit . * Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry , For anger rests in the bosom of fools . * Do not say , "Why were the former days better than these ?" For you do not inquire wisely concerning this . * Wisdom is good with an inheritance , And profitable to those who see the sun . * For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense , But the excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives life to those who have it . * Consider the work of God ; For who can make straight what He has made crooked ? * In the day of prosperity be joyful , But in the day of adversity consider : Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other , So that man can find out nothing that will come after him . * I have seen everything in my days of vanity : There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness , And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness . * Do not be overly righteous , Nor be overly wise : Why should you destroy yourself ? * Do not be overly wicked , Nor be foolish : Why should you die before your time ? * It is good that you grasp this , And also not remove your hand from the other ; For he who fears God will escape them all . * Wisdom strengthens the wise More than ten rulers of the city . * For there is not a just man on earth who does good And does not sin . * Also do not take to heart everything people say , Lest you hear your servant cursing you . * For many times , also , your own heart has known That even you have cursed others . * All this I have proved by wisdom . I said , "I will be wise "; But it was far from me . * As for that which is far off and exceedingly deep , Who can find it out ? * I applied my heart to know , To search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things , To know the wickedness of folly , Even of foolishness and madness . * And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets , Whose hands are fetters . He who pleases God shall escape from her , But the sinner shall be trapped by her . * "Here is what I have found ," says the Preacher , "Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason , * Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find : One man among a thousand I have found , But a woman among all these I have not found . * Truly , this only I have found : That God made man upright , But they have sought out many schemes ."

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