Ecclesiastes 7

1A good name is better than good olive oil, And the day of one's death Than the day of one's birth.

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2It is better to go to the house of mourning Than to go to the house of drinking, For this is the end of every man; And the living will take it to heart.

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3Sorrow is better than laughter, For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.

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4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, But the heart of senseless men is in the house of merriment.

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5It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man Than for a man to hear the song of senseless men.

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6For like the crackling of thorns under a pot, So is the laughter of senseless men. This also is vanity.

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7Oppression makes a learned man dizzy And destroys his vigorous heart.

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8The end of matters is better than their beginning, And a patient man is better than one haughty in spirit.

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9Do not be hasty in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of senseless men.

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10Do not say, 'Why were the former days better than these?' For you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

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11Wisdom is good with an inheritance, And profitable to those who see the sun.

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12For wisdom in its shadow is as the shadow of silver, But the abundance of the knowledge of wisdom Will give life to him who has it.

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13Behold the works of God, For who can put in order him Whom God made crooked?

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14In the day of what is good, live in that goodness, But in the day of trouble, consider also That God made one harmonious with the other, That a man may not find out anything That will come after him.

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15I saw everything in my days of vanity: There is a righteous man Who perishes in his righteousness, And there is an ungodly man Who remains alive in his vice.

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16Do not be overly righteous, Nor be overly wise, Lest you be confounded.

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17Do not be very ungodly, Nor be hardened, Lest you die before your time.

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18It is good that you lay hold of this And do not let your hand let go of it: For the one who fears God, all things will turn out well.

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19Wisdom will help the wise More than ten rulers in the city.

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20For there is not a righteous man on earth Who does good and does not sin.

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21Also do not take to heart all the words people say, Lest you hear your servant cursing you.

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22For very often he will act in an evil manner against you, And many times he will afflict your heart, Just as you have cursed others.

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23I proved all this by wisdom. I said, 'I will be wise,'

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24But it was far from me. As for what is far off and exceedingly deep,

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25I and my heart went about to know, And to search and seek out wisdom And the account of things, And to know the foolishness, hardness, and madness Of the ungodly man.

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26I find more bitter than death The woman who is a snare and her heart a net; And her hands are her chains. A man who is good in the sight of God will escape from her, But the sinner will be caught by her.

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27'Behold, I found this,' says the Preacher, 'Adding one thing to the other to find out the reason,

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28Which my soul still seeks, but cannot find: I found one man among a thousand, But a woman among all these, I have not found.

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29Except behold, I found this, That God makes man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.'

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