### American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 6

## Ecclesiastes or, The Preacher

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| # Chapter 7
#### 1 | A [good] name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.
#### 2 | 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 | Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.
#### 4 | 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 rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.
#### 6 | For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
#### 7 | Surely extortion maketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding.
#### 8 | Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; [and] the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
#### 9 | Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
#### 10 | Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.
#### 11 | Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.
#### 12 | For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.
#### 13 | Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
#### 14 | In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything [that shall be] after him.
#### 15 | All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth [his life] in his evil-doing.
#### 16 | Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?
#### 17 | Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
#### 18 | It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all.
#### 19 | Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.
#### 20 | Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
#### 21 | Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
#### 22 | for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
#### 23 | All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.
#### 24 | That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?
#### 25 | I turned about, and my heart [was set] to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason [of things], and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.
#### 26 | And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, [and] whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.
#### 27 | Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, [laying] one thing to another, to find out the account;
#### 28 | which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.
#### 29 | Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Ecclesiastes 8

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