^7 [a]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 ^[b]angry; for ^[c]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 ^[d]wisely concerning this. ¹¹ Wisdom ^[e]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.

¹⁹ Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city. ^20 [a]Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. ²¹ Also ^[b]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 ^[c]proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴ That which ^[d]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 ^[e]that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness. ²⁶ And I find more bitter than death the woman ^[f]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.

10 Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer ^[a]to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly ^[b]outweigh wisdom and honor. ² A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. ³ Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his ^[c]understanding faileth him, and he saith ^[d]to every one that he is a fool. ⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for ^[e]gentleness allayeth great offences. ⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler: ⁶ folly is set in great ^[f]dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. ⁷ I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking like servants upon the earth. ⁸ He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him. ⁹ Whoso ^[g]heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby. ¹⁰ If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. ^11 [h]If the serpent bite ^[i]before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in ^[j]the charmer. ¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. ¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of ^[k]his talk is mischievous madness. ¹⁴ A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him? ¹⁵ The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city. ¹⁶ Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a ^[l]child, and thy princes eat in the morning! ¹⁷ Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is ^[m]the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! ¹⁸ By slothfulness the ^[n]roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh. ¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things. ²⁰ Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

11 ^[o]Cast thy bread ^[p]upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days. ^2 [q]Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. ³ If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall ^[r]toward the south, or ^[s]toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be. ⁴ He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. ⁵ As thou knowest not what is the way of the ^[t]wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all. ⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.