Ecclesiastes 7:7-14

New American Standard Bible

⁷ For ^(A)oppression makes a wise person look foolish,
And a ^(B)bribe ^[a]corrupts the heart.
⁸ The ^(C)end of a matter is better than its beginning;
^(D)Patience of spirit is better than arrogance of spirit.
⁹ Do not be ^[b](E)eager in your spirit to be angry,
For anger resides in the ^[c]heart of fools.
¹⁰ Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?”
For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
¹¹ Wisdom along with an inheritance is good,
And an ^(F)advantage to those who see the sun.
¹² For ^(G)wisdom is ^[d]protection just as money is ^[e]protection,
But the advantage of knowledge is that ^(H)wisdom keeps its possessors alive.
¹³ Consider the ^(I)work of God,
For who is ^(J)able to straighten what He has bent?
^14 (K)On the day of prosperity be happy,
But ^(L)on the day of adversity consider:
God has made the one as well as the other
So that a person will ^(M)not discover anything that will come after him.