Study Desk

Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.

Control your temper, for anger labels you a fool.

Don't long for "the good old days." This is not wise.

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what he has made crooked?

Pay attention to these instructions, for anyone who fears God will avoid both extremes.

For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!

Don't try to avoid doing your duty, and don't stand with those who plot evil, for the king can do whatever he wants.

for there is a time and a way for everything, even when a person is in trouble.

The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

In my search for wisdom and in my observation of people's burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night.

It seems so wrong that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. Already twisted by evil, people choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway.

There is hope only for the living. As they say, "It's better to be a live dog than a dead lion!"

So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this!

Live happily with the woman you love through all the meaningless days of life that God has given you under the sun. The wife God gives you is your reward for all your earthly toil.

Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

So even though wisdom is better than strength, those who are wise will be despised if they are poor. What they say will not be appreciated for long.

What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning.