^5 (E)It is better to ^[c]hear the rebuke of the wise
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
^6 (F)For like the ^[d]crackling of thorns under a pot,
So is the laughter of the fool.
This also is vanity.
⁷ Surely oppression destroys a wise man’s reason,
^(G)And a bribe ^[e]debases the heart.

⁸ The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
^(H)The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
^9 (I)Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry,
For anger rests in the bosom of fools.
¹⁰ Do not say,
“Why were the former days better than these?”
For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
And profitable ^(J)to those who see the sun.
¹² For wisdom is ^[f]a ^(K)defense as money is a defense,
But the ^[g]excellence of knowledge is that wisdom gives ^(L)life to those who have it.

¹³ Consider the work of God;
For ^(M)who can make straight what He has made crooked?
^14 (N)In the day of prosperity be joyful,
But in the day of adversity consider:
Surely God has appointed the one ^[h]as well as the other,
So that man can find out nothing that will come after him.

^(O)There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness,
And there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness.

^16 (P)Do not be overly righteous,
^(Q)Nor be overly wise:
Why should you destroy yourself?
¹⁷ Do not be overly wicked,
Nor be foolish:
^(R)Why should you die before your time?
¹⁸ It is good that you grasp this,
And also not remove your hand from the other;
For he who ^(S)fears God will ^[i]escape them all.

^19 (T)Wisdom strengthens the wise
More than ten rulers of the city.

^20 (U)For there is not a just man on earth who does good
And does not sin.

²¹ Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you.
²² For many times, also, your own heart has known
That even you have cursed others.

²³ All this I have ^[j]proved by wisdom.
^(V)I said, “I will be wise”;
But it was far from me.
^24 (W)As for that which is far off and ^(X)exceedingly deep,
Who can find it out?
^25 (Y)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.
^26 (Z)And I find more bitter than death
The woman whose heart is snares and nets,
Whose hands are fetters.
^[k]He who pleases God shall escape from her,
But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

²⁷ “Here is what I have found,” says ^(AA)the Preacher,
“Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,
²⁸ Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
^(AB)One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.
²⁹ Truly, this only I have found:
^(AC)That God made man upright,
But ^(AD)they have sought out many schemes.”