A good name is better than precious ointment;

Daily Meditation
¹⁹ Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.

Today’s Reading

Ecclesiastes
Chapter 7
A good name is better than precious ointment;

1 A good name is better than precious ointment;
and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

² It is better to go to the house of mourning,
than to go to the house of feasting:
for that is the end of all men;
and the living will lay it to his heart.
³ Sorrow is better than laughter:
for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning;
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
than for a man to hear the song of fools.
⁶ For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,
so is the laughter of the fool:
this also is vanity.
⁷ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad;
and a gift destroyeth the heart.
⁸ Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof:
and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
⁹ Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry:
for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
¹⁰ Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these?
for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance:
and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.
¹² For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence:
but the excellency of knowledge is,
that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
¹³ Consider the work of God:
for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

¹⁴ In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. ¹⁵ All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. ¹⁶ Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? ¹⁷ Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? ¹⁸ It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all. ¹⁹ Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. ²⁰ For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. ²¹ Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: ²² for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

²³ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴ That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? ²⁵ I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: ²⁶ and I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her. ²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account: ²⁸ which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. ²⁹ Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.