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.
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.
21. Don’t listen to everything people say. You might hear your own servant saying bad things about you.
22. And you know that many times you too have said bad things about other people.
23. I used my wisdom and thought about all these things. I wanted to be wise, but I couldn’t do it.
24. I cannot understand why things are as they are. It is too hard for anyone to understand.
25. I studied and I tried very hard to find true wisdom. I tried to find a reason for everything. I did learn that it is foolish to be evil, and it is crazy to act like a fool.
26. I also found that some women are dangerous like traps. Their hearts are like nets, and their arms are like chains. It is worse than death to be caught by these women. God’s followers should run away from them. Let the sinners be caught by them.
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.
29. “There is one other thing I have learned. God made people good, but they have found many ways to be bad.”