[1] A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. [2] It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. [3] Frustration is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. [4] The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. [5] It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools. [6] Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. [7] Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart. [8] The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. [9] Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. [10] Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. [11] Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing and benefits those who see the sun. [12] Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it. [13] Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? [14] When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.
