Study Desk

A good name is better than fine perfume,^(a) and the day of death better than the day of birth.^(b)

It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death^(c) is the destiny^(d) of everyone; the living should take this to heart.

Frustration is better than laughter,^(e) because a sad face is good for the heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.^(f)

It is better to heed the rebuke^(g) of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.

Like the crackling of thorns^(h) under the pot, so is the laughter⁽ⁱ⁾ of fools. This too is meaningless.

Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe^(j) corrupts the heart.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience^(k) is better than pride.

Do not be quickly provoked^(l) in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.^(m)

Do not say, "Why were the old days⁽ⁿ⁾ better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing^(o) and benefits those who see the sun.^(p)

Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.

Consider what God has done:^(q) Who can straighten what he has made crooked?^(r)

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other.^(s) Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

In this meaningless life^(t) of mine I have seen both of these: the righteous perishing in their righteousness, and the wicked living long in their wickedness.^(u)

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise— why destroy yourself?

Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool— why die before your time?^(v)

It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God^(w) will avoid all extremes.^[a]

Wisdom^(x) makes one wise person more powerful^(y) than ten rulers in a city.

Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,^(z) no one who does what is right and never sins.^(aa)

Do not pay attention to every word people say, or you^(ab) may hear your servant cursing you—

for you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

All this I tested by wisdom and I said, "I am determined to be wise"^(ac)— but this was beyond me.

Whatever exists is far off and most profound— who can discover it?^(ad)

So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things^(ae) and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.^(af)

I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare,^(ag) whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.^(ah)

"Look," says the Teacher,^[b](ai) "this is what I have discovered: "Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—

while I was still searching but not finding— I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman^(aj) among them all.

This only have I found: God created mankind upright, but they have gone in search of many schemes."