2Better to go to the house of weeping than to go to the banquet house, because this is the end of all the children of men, and The Living One gives good to his heart

3Grief is better than laughter, because in the sadness of the face the heart will improve

4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools in the house of joy

5Better to hear the reproof of the wise than a man who hears the song of fools

6For like the sound of thorns under a metal pot, so is the laughter of fools, and this also is futility

7Because oppression destroys the wise and a gift destroys the heart

8Better is the end of a matter than its beginning, and better is patience of spirit than pride of spirit

9Do not be quick in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the breast of fools

10Do not say: "Why is it that the former days were better than these"?, because it is not in wisdom you ask about these things

11Wisdom is better than a supply of arms, and it is greater for those seeing the sun

12Because the shade of wisdom is like the shade of money, and the profit of knowledge is that wisdom will save its owner

13See the work of God, for who is able to restore him that is disturbed?

14In the day of goodness be in prosperity, and in the day of evil look after your soul; God also makes this one opposite that one, so that a son of man will not find anything to say after him

15Everything I have seen in the days of futility: there is a righteous one who is destroyed in his righteousness and there is an evil one who is prolonged in his evil 16Do not be too righteous, and do not be too wise, lest you be stupid 17You shall not be greatly irreverent so that you be not greatly hated; do not be foolish, lest you die when not in your time 18It is good that you take hold of this, neither let your hand go from this, because whoever is in awe of God will cling to all these things

19Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers who are in the city 20For there is not a righteous man in Earth who will do what is good and will not sin 21And also do not give your heart to all statements that the wicked will utter; do not listen to your servant who insults you 22For your heart knows you also have insulted others many times

23All these things I tested by wisdom; I said: "I shall be wise," and this was far removed from me 24Beyond all that is distant and the depth of depths; who will find it? 25I and my heart have traveled about to know and to perform and to seek wisdom and calculation and to know the wickedness of the fool and foolishness and crime 26And I have found that more bitter than death is a wife who is a snare and her heart a net; she has bound the hands of him who is good; he who is good in front of God is delivered from her, and he who sins is caught by her

27See this that I have found, says the Preacher, one by one, to find reasons 28And again my soul searched and I have not found; one man of a thousand I have found, and a woman among all these I have not found 29However, see this that I have found: "God has made men upright, and they have searched out many schemes"