Ecclesiastes 7:15-27

New International Version

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
    and the wicked living long in their wickedness.^(B)
16 Do not be overrighteous,
    neither be overwise—
    why destroy yourself?
¹⁷ Do not be overwicked,
    and do not be a fool—
    why die before your time?^(C)
18 It is good to grasp the one
    and not let go of the other.
    Whoever fears God^(D) will avoid all extremes.^[a]

¹⁹ Wisdom^(E) makes one wise person more powerful^(F)
    than ten rulers in a city.

²⁰ Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,^(G)
    no one who does what is right and never sins.^(H)

²¹ Do not pay attention to every word people say,
    or you^(I) may hear your servant cursing you—
²² for you know in your heart
    that many times you yourself have cursed others.

“I am determined to be wise”^(J)—
    but this was beyond me.
²⁴ Whatever exists is far off and most profound—
    who can discover it?^(K)
25 So I turned my mind to understand,
    to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things^(L)
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
    and the madness of folly.^(M)

²⁶ I find more bitter than death
    the woman who is a snare,^(N)
whose heart is a trap
    and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
    but the sinner she will ensnare.^(O)

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—