The Best in Life
1 A good reputation
at the time of death
is better than loving care
at the time of birth.
2 It's better to go to a funeral
than to attend a feast;
funerals remind us
that we all must die.
3 Choose sorrow over laughter
because a sad face
may hide a happy heart.
4 A sensible person mourns,
but fools always laugh.
5 Correction from someone wise
is better by far
than praise from fools.
6 Foolish laughter is stupid.
It sounds like thorns
crackling in a fire.
7 Corruption makes fools
of sensible people,
and bribes can ruin you.
8 Something completed is better
than something just begun;
patience is better
than too much pride.
9 Only fools get angry quickly
and hold a grudge.
10 It isn't wise to ask,
“Why is everything worse
than it used to be?”
11 Having wisdom is better
than an inheritance.
12 Wisdom will protect you
just like money;
knowledge with good sense
will lead you to life.
13 Think of what God has done!
If God makes something crooked,
can you make it straight?
14 When times are good,
you should be cheerful;
when times are bad,
think about what it means.
God makes them both
to keep us from knowing
what will happen next.
Some of Life's Questions
15 I have seen everything during this senseless life of mine. I have seen good citizens die for doing the right thing, while criminals live and prosper. 16 So don't destroy yourself by being too good or acting too smart! 17 Don't die before your time by being too evil or acting like a fool. 18 Keep to the middle of the road. You can do this if you truly respect God.
19 Wisdom will make you stronger than the ten most powerful leaders in your city.
20 No one in this world always does right.
21 Don't listen to everything that everyone says, or you might hear your servant cursing you. 22 Haven't you cursed many others?
23 I told myself that I would be smart and try to understand all this, but it was too much for me. 24 The truth is beyond us. It's far too deep. 25 So I decided to learn everything I could and become wise enough to discover what life is all about. At the same time, I wanted to understand why it's stupid and senseless to be an evil fool.
26 Here is what I discovered: A bad woman is worse than death. She is a trap, reaching out with body and soul to catch you. But if you obey God, you can escape. If you don't obey, you are done for. 27 With all my wisdom I have tried to find out how everything fits together, 28 but so far I have not been able to. I do know there is one good man in a thousand, but never have I found a good woman. 29 I did learn one thing: We were completely honest when God created us, but now we have twisted minds.
1 Surely there be many things that increase vanitie: and what auaileth it man? 2 For who knoweth what is good for man in the life and in the nomber of the dayes of the life of his vanitie, seeing he maketh them as a shadowe? For who can shewe vnto man what shall be after him vnder the sunne? 3 A good name is better then a good oyntment, and the day of death, then the day that one is borne. 4 It is better to goe to the house of mourning, then to goe to the house of feasting, because this is the ende of all men: and the liuing shall lay it to his heart. 5 Anger is better then laughter: for by a sad looke the heart is made better. 6 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth. 7 Better it is to heare ye rebuke of a wise man, then that a man should heare the song of fooles. 8 For like ye noyse of the thornes vnder the pot, so is the laughter of the foole: this also is vanitie. 9 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad: and the rewarde destroyeth the heart. 10 The ende of a thing is better then the beginning thereof, and the pacient in spirit is better then the proude in spirit. 11 Be not thou of an hastie spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosome of fooles. 12 Say not thou, Why is it that the former dayes were better then these? for thou doest not enquire wisely of this thing. 13 Wisedome is good with an inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sunne. 14 For man shall rest in the shadowe of wisedome, and in the shadowe of siluer: but the excellencie of the knowledge of wisedome giueth life to the possessers thereof. 15 Beholde the worke of God: for who can make straight that which he hath made crooked? 16 In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man shoulde finde nothing after him. 17 I haue seene all things in the dayes of my vanitie: there is a iust man that perisheth in his iustice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice. 18 Be not thou iust ouermuch, neither make thy selfe ouerwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate? 19 Be not thou wicked ouermuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time? 20 It is good that thou lay hold on this: but yet withdrawe not thine hand from that: for he that feareth God, shall come forth of them all. 21 Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in ye citie. 22 Surely there is no man iust in the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. 23 Giue not thine heart also to all ye wordes that men speake, lest thou doe heare thy seruant cursing thee. 24 For often times also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast cursed others. 25 All this haue I prooued by wisedome: I thought I will be wise, but it went farre from me. 26 It is farre off, what may it be? and it is a profound deepenesse, who can finde it? 27 I haue compassed about, both I and mine heart to knowe and to enquire and to search wisedome, and reason, and to knowe the wickednesse of follie, and the foolishnesse of madnesse, 28 And I finde more bitter then death the woman whose heart is as nettes and snares, and her handes, as bands: he that is good before God, shalbe deliuered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her. 29 Beholde, sayth the Preacher, this haue I found, seeking one by one to finde the count: 30 And yet my soule seeketh, but I finde it not: I haue found one man of a thousand: but a woman among them all haue I not founde. 31 Onely loe, this haue I founde, that God hath made man righteous: but they haue sought many inuentions.