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7:1  A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
7:2  It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: in that that is the end of all men, and the living taketh it to heart.
7:3  Vexation is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
7:4  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools in the house of mirth.
7:5  It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise, than to hear the song of fools.
7:6  For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This also is vanity.
7:7  Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad, and a gift destroyeth the heart.
7:8  Better is the end of a thing than its beginning; better is a patient spirit than a proud spirit.
7:9  Be not hasty in thy spirit to be vexed; for vexation resteth in the bosom of fools.
7:10  Say not, How is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
7:11  Wisdom is as good as an inheritance, and profitable to them that see the sun.
7:12  For wisdom is a defence as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom maketh them that possess it to live.
7:13  Consider the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked?
7:14  In the day of prosperity enjoy good, and in the day of adversity consider: God hath also set the one beside the other, to the end that man should find out nothing of what shall be after him.
7:15  All this have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth by his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his days by his wickedness.
7:16  Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
7:17  Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
7:18  It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God cometh forth from them all.
7:19  Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in a city.
7:20  Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.
7:21  Also give not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee.
7:22  For also thine own heart knoweth that oftentimes thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
7:23  All this have I tried by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
7:24  Whatever hath been, is far off, and exceeding deep: who will find it out?
7:25  I turned, I and my heart, to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom and reason, and to know wickedness to be folly, and foolishness to be madness;
7:26  and I found more bitter than death the woman whose heart is nets and snares, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be caught by her.
7:27  See this which I have found, saith the Preacher, searching one by one to find out the reason;
7:28  which my soul yet seeketh, and I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found, but a woman among all those have I not found.
7:29  Only see this which I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.