⁷ For oppression brings confusion to the wise man,
    and a bribe destroys a man’s heart.

⁸ The end of a matter is better than the beginning of it,
    and the patient in spirit than the haughty in spirit.
⁹ Do not be quick in your spirit to be angry,
    for irritation settles in the bosom of fools.

¹⁰ Do not say, “Why were the earlier days better than these days?”
    For it is not from wisdom that you inquire this.

¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance,
    and an advantage to those who see the sun.
¹² For the protection of wisdom
    is like the protection of money,
and the advantage of knowledge is
    that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it.

¹⁹ Wisdom strengthens the wise man
    more than ten rulers who are in the city.

²⁰ For there is not a righteous man on earth
    who only does good and refrains from sin.

²¹ Do not give heed to everything people say,
    lest you hear your servant cursing you.
²² Your heart knows
    that many times you have spoken a curse against others.

“I will be wise,”
    but it was far from me.
²⁴ That which is, is far off,
    and exceedingly deep.
    Who can find it out?
²⁵ And I turned my heart to know,
    and seek and search out wisdom in how things are
and to experience wicked folly,
    even foolishness and madness.

²⁶ I find more bitter than death
    the woman whose heart is snares
and nets,
    and whose hands are fetters.
He who pleases God escapes her,
    but the sinner is taken by her.

10 A dead fly causes a stench in mixed anointing oil,
    so a little folly is more weighty than wisdom and honor.
² The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
    but the heart of a fool to the left.
³ Even when a fool walks on the road,
    he lacks sense,
    and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
⁴ If the anger of a ruler rises against you,
    do not leave your post;
    for calmness pacifies great offenses.

⁵ There is an evil that I have seen under the sun
    like an error that goes out from a ruler:
⁶ Folly is set in many high places,
    but the rich sit in a low place.
⁷ I have seen slaves riding on horses,
    and officials walking along the ground like slaves.

⁸ He who digs a pit will fall into it,
    and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
⁹ He who quarries stones is injured by them,
    and he who splits wood is in danger from them.

¹⁰ If an iron piece is blunt
    and there is no one to sharpen it,
then he must prevail with more strength;
    but wisdom is a benefit to succeed.

¹¹ If a serpent bites before it is charmed,
    there is no advantage to the charmer.

¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth bring favor,
    but the speech of a fool consumes him;
¹³ the beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
    and the end of his talk is evil madness.
¹⁴ A fool multiplies words,
    though no man knows what is to be;
    who can tell him what will be after him?

¹⁵ The labor of the foolish makes him weary,
    such that he does not know the way to the city!

¹⁶ Woe to you, O land, when your king is a lad,
    and your princes are feasting in the morning!
¹⁷ Happy are you, O land, when your king is from nobility,
    and your princes are feasting at the appropriate time—
    with self-control and not drunkenness!

¹⁸ The roof beams sink in with slothfulness,
    and with the idleness of one’s hands the house drips.

¹⁹ They make feasts for laughter,
    and wine gladdens life;
    but money resolves everything.

²⁰ Even in your mind do not curse the king;
    and in your bedchamber do not curse the rich;
for a bird in the sky may carry your voice,
    and a winged creature may declare the matter.

³ If the clouds are full of rain,
    they empty out on the land;
and if a tree falls to the north or south,
    in the place that the tree falls, there it will be.
⁴ He who observes the wind will not sow,
    and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

⁵ As you do not know the way of the wind,
    or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child;
likewise you do not know the work of God
    who has made everything.

⁶ In the morning sow your seed,
    and in the evening do not let your hand rest;
because you do not know which activity will find success,
    this way or that way,
    or if the both will be good.