The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
King James Version KJV
1 A good name is better than perfumed oil, and the day of death better than the day of birth.
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A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
2 Better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for all are destined to be mourned; the living should lay this to heart.
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It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Grief is better than laughter, for sadness can improve a person.
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Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
4 The thoughts of the wise are in the house of mourning, but the thoughts of fools are in the house of pleasure.
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The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
5 It is better to hear the rebukes of the wise than to listen to the songs of fools.
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It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
6 For the laughter of fools is like the crackling of thorns burning under a pot; this too is pointless.
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For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
7 But oppression can make a wise man stupid; also a gift can destroy understanding.
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Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.
8 The end of something is better than its beginning, so the patient are better than the proud.
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Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
9 Don't be quick to get angry, for [only] fools nurse anger.
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Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
10 Don't ask why the old days were better than now, because that is a foolish question.
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Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.
11 Wisdom is good, along with possessions, an advantage to all who see the sun.
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Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
12 For wisdom is a shelter, and money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom keeps the one who has it alive.
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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.
13 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?
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Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
14 When things are going well, enjoy yourself; but when things are going badly, consider that God made the one alongside the other, so that people would learn nothing of their futures.
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In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.
15 In my pointless life, I've seen everything -from the righteous person perishing in his uprightness to the wicked one who lives a long life and keeps on doing wrong.
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All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.
16 So don't be overly righteous or overly wise; why should you disappoint yourself?
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Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
17 But don't be overly wicked, and don't be foolish; why should you die before your time?
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Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
18 Don't grasp just one of these rules; take hold of the other as well; for he who is in fear of God will live by both of them.
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It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
19 To a wise man wisdom is better protection than ten rulers in a city.
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Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
20 For there isn't a righteous person on earth who does [only] good and never sins.
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For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
21 Also, don't take seriously every word spoken, such as when you hear your servant speaking badly of you;
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Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:
22 because often, as you yourself know, you have spoken badly of others.
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For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
23 All this I have put to the test of wisdom; I said, "I will acquire wisdom"; but wisdom remained far away from me.
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All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
24 That which exists is far away and deep, so deep, that it can't be discovered.
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That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?
25 So I turned myself and my thoughts to know, search out and seek wisdom and the reasons behind things, also to know how foolish it is to be wicked and how stupid to act like a fool.
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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:
26 I found more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, whose heart is a snare and whose hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God will escape from her, but the sinner will be caught by her.
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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.
27 I have found this - says Kohelet -adding one thing to another to reach a conclusion,
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Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:
28 I searched a long time without finding it: one man in a thousand I have found, but a woman among all those I have not found.
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Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
29 This is the only thing I have found, that God made human beings upright, but they have devised many schemes.
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Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The King James Version is in the public domain.