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For oppression makes a wise person look foolish, And a bribe corrupts the heart.

Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

The end of a matter is better than its beginning; Patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit.

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, For anger resides in the heart of fools.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

Wisdom along with an inheritance is good, And an advantage to those who see the sun.

Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

For wisdom is protection just as money is protection, But the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom keeps its possessors alive.

For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

Wisdom strengthens a wise person more than ten rulers who are in a city.

Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Indeed, there is not a righteous person on earth who always does good and does not ever sin.

For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Also, do not take seriously all the words which are spoken, so that you do not hear your servant cursing you,

Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

for you know that even you have cursed others many times as well.

For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

I tested all this with wisdom, and I said, "I will be wise," but wisdom was far from me.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.

What has been is remote and very mysterious. Who can discover it?

That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

I directed my mind to know and to investigate, and to seek wisdom and an explanation, and to know the evil of foolishness and the foolishness of insanity.

I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

And I discovered as more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Dead flies turn a perfumer's oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more potent than wisdom and honor.

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

A wise person's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish person's heart directs him toward the left.

A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.

Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

If the ruler's temper rises against you, do not abandon your place, because composure puts great offenses to rest.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places.

Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall.

He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them.

Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success.

If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer.

Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

the beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the end of it is evil insanity.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

Yet the fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

The labor of a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city.

The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Woe to you, land whose king is a boy, and whose princes feast in the morning.

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for drunkenness.

Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

Through extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks.

By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

People prepare a meal for enjoyment, wine makes life joyful, and money is the answer to everything.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

Furthermore, in your bedroom do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.

Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you will find it after many days.

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what misfortune may occur on the earth.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Just as you do not know the path of the wind, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.