1. A good reputation is better than expensive pleasures. The day someone dies is better than the day they were born.
2. It is better to go to a funeral than to a party, because everyone must die, and the living need to remember this.
3. Sorrow is even better than laughter, because when our face is sad, our heart becomes good.
4. A wise person thinks about death, but a fool thinks only about having a good time.
5. It is better to be criticized by the wise than praised by the foolish.
6. The laughter of fools is such a waste. It is like thorns burning under a pot. The thorns burn so quickly that the pot does not get hot.
7. Even the wise will forget their wisdom, if someone pays them enough. That money destroys their understanding.
8. It is better to finish something than to start it. It is better to be gentle and patient than to be proud and impatient.
9. Don’t become angry quickly, because anger is foolish.
16-17. So why ruin your life? Don’t be too good or too bad, and don’t be too wise or too foolish. Why should you die before your time?
19-20. Surely there is no one on earth who always does good and never sins. But wisdom can make one person stronger than ten leaders in a city.
27-28. The Teacher says, “I added all this together to see what answer I could find. I am still looking for answers, but I did find this: I found one good man in a thousand. But I did not find even one good woman.