15. I have seen everything in my pointless lifetime: the righteous person may die in spite of their righteousness; then again, the wicked may live long in spite of their wickedness.
16. Don’t be too righteous or too wise, or you may be dumbfounded.
17. Don’t be too wicked and don’t be a fool, or you may die before your time.
18. It’s good that you take hold of one of these without letting go of the other because the one who fears God will go forth with both.
19. Wisdom makes a wise person stronger than ten rulers who are in a city.
20. Remember: there’s no one on earth so righteous as to do good only and never make a mistake.
21. Don’t worry about all the things people say, so you don’t hear your servant cursing you.
22. After all, you know that you’ve often cursed others yourself!
23. I tested all of this by wisdom. I thought, I will be wise, but it eluded me.
24. All that happens is elusive and utterly unfathomable. Who can grasp it?
25. I turned my mind to know, to investigate, and to seek wisdom, along with an account of things, to know that wickedness is foolishness and folly is madness.