[1] A good name is better than precious ointments (or A good name, or a good reputation, is better than expensive perfume); and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
[2] It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of a feast; for in that house the end of all men is warned (of), and a man living thinketh, what is to coming, (or for in that house the end of all people is warned of, and the living should think of what is to come).
[3] Ire is better than laughing; for the soul of a trespasser is amended by the heaviness of (his) cheer.
[4] The heart of wise men is where sorrow is; and the heart of fools is where folly gladness is.
[5] It is better to be reproved of a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattering of fools; (It is better to be rebuked by a wise person, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools;)
[6] for as the sound of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughing of a fool. But also this is vanity. (for the sound of thorns burning under a pot, is like the laughter of a fool. But this is also empty and futile.)
[7] False challenge troubleth a wise man, and it shall lose the strength of his heart. (Untrue words, that is, lies and slander, trouble a wise person, and they shall destroy the strength of his heart, that is, his resolve or his determination.)
[8] Forsooth the end of prayer is better than the beginning. A patient man is better than a proud man.
[9] Be thou not swift to be wroth; for ire resteth in the bosom of a fool. (Do not thou be quick to get angry; for anger lieth in the heart of a fool.)
[10] Say thou not, What guessest thou is the cause, that the former times were better than be now? for why such asking is fond (or for such questioning is foolish).
[11] Forsooth wisdom with riches is more profitable, and profiteth more to men seeing the sun. (For wisdom is more profitable than riches, and profiteth all who see the sun.)
[12] For as wisdom defendeth, so money defendeth; but learning and wisdom have this moreover, that those give life to them that have them. (For like wisdom defendeth, so money defendeth; but learning and wisdom have this as well, that they give life to those who have them.)
[13] Behold thou the works of God, and see that no man may amend him, whom God hath despised.
[14] In a good day use thou (thy) goods, and before eschew thou an evil day, (or On a good day, enjoy thy good things, but shun thou them on an evil day); for God made so this day as that day, (so) that a man find not just complainings against him.
[15] Also I saw these things in the days of my nativity; a just man perisheth in his rightfulness, and a wicked man liveth much time in his malice. (And I have seen these things since the day of my birth or in all my empty and futile days; a righteous person perisheth in his righteousness, and a wicked person liveth a great deal of time in his malice.)
[16] Do not thou be just over much, neither understand thou more than is needful; lest thou be astonied. (Do not thou be too good, nor understand thou more than is useful; lest thou be regarded with contempt, or with derision.)
[17] Do thou not wickedly much, and do not thou be a fool; lest thou die in a time not thine. (Do not thou do many wicked things), and do not be a fool; lest thou die before thy time.)
[18] It is good, that thou sustain a just man; but also withdraw thou not thine hand from him; for he that dreadeth God, is not negligent of anything. (It is good that thou sustain the one, but also do not thou withdraw thy hand from the other; for he who feareth God, is not negligent of anything.)
[19] Wisdom hath strengthened a wise man, over ten princes of a city. (Wisdom can strengthen the wise, more than ten leaders of a city.)
[20] Forsooth no just man there is in [the] earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. (But there is no righteous person in the earth who only, or who always, doeth good, and never sinneth.)
[21] But also give thou not thine heart to all (the) words, that be said; lest peradventure thou hear thy servant cursing thee;
[22] for thy conscience knoweth, that also thou hast cursed oft other men. (for thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often cursed other people.)
[23] I assayed all things in wisdom; I said, I shall be made wise, and it went away further from me (or but it went farther away from me),
[24] much more than it was; and the depth is low, who shall find it? (much more than it was before; and to such a depth, yea, so low down, that who shall ever be able to find it?)
[25] I compassed all things with my soul (or I put my mind upon everything, yea), to know, and to behold, and (to) seek (out) wisdom, and reason, and to know the wickedness of a fool, and the error of unprudent men.
[26] And I found a woman bitterer than death, the which is (like) the snare of hunters, and her heart is (like) a net, and her hands be (like) bonds; he that pleaseth God shall escape her, but he that is a sinner, shall be taken of her. (And I found a woman more bitter than death, who is like a hunter's snare, and her heart is like a net, and her hands be like bonds; he who pleaseth God shall escape her, but he who is a sinner shall be caught by her.)
[27] Lo! I found this, said Ecclesiastes, (concerning) one (thing) and (an)other, that I should find (the) reason,
[28] which my soul seeketh yet; and (other things) I found not. I found one man of a thousand; and I found not a woman of all. (which my soul yet seeketh; but other things I did not find. I found one man out of a thousand; but I did not find one woman out of all of them.)
[29] I found this only, that God made a man rightful [or that God made man right]; and (then) he meddled himself with questions without number. (I found only this, that God made a person upright, or clear-headed; but then he mixed himself in, or he mixed himself up, with too many questions.)