¹⁰ The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.

¹⁵ It is a true saying, in which all may put their faith, that Christ Jesus came into the world to give salvation to sinners, of whom I am the chief:

⁵ Through the hope which is in store for you in heaven; knowledge of which was given to you before in the true word of the good news,

¹¹ Truly, I say to you, We say that of which we have knowledge; we give witness of what we have seen; and you do not take our witness to be true.

¹ As a number of attempts have been made to put together in order an account of those events which took place among us,

² As they were handed down to us by those who saw them from the first and were preachers of the word,

³ It seemed good to me, having made observation, with great care, of the direction of events in their order, to put the facts in writing for you, most noble Theophilus;

⁴ So that you might have certain knowledge of those things about which you were given teaching.

¹ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

¹¹ A word at the right time is like apples of gold in a network of silver.

¹² Like a nose-ring of gold and an ornament of the best gold, is a wise man who says sharp words to an ear ready to give attention.

¹⁷ Let your ear be bent down for hearing my words, and let your heart give thought to knowledge.

¹⁸ For it is a delight to keep them in your heart, to have them ready on your lips.

¹⁹ So that your faith may be in the Lord, I have made them clear to you this day, even to you.

²⁰ Have I not put in writing for you thirty sayings, with wise suggestions and knowledge,

²¹ To make you see how certain are true words, so that you may give a true answer to those who put questions to you?

²¹ The wise-hearted will be named men of good sense: and by pleasing words learning is increased.

²² Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it; but the punishment of the foolish is their foolish behaviour.

²³ The heart of the wise man is the teacher of his mouth, and gives increased learning to his lips.

²⁴ Pleasing words are like honey, sweet to the soul and new life to the bones.

²⁶ Evil designs are disgusting to the Lord, but the words of the clean-hearted are pleasing.

²³ A man has joy in the answer of his mouth: and a word at the right time, how good it is!

⁶ Give ear, for my words are true, and my lips are open to give out what is upright.

⁷ For good faith goes out of my mouth, and false lips are disgusting to me.

⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteousness; there is nothing false or twisted in them.

⁹ They are all true to him whose mind is awake, and straightforward to those who get knowledge.

¹⁰ Take my teaching, and not silver; get knowledge in place of the best gold.

¹ The wise sayings of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel.

² To have knowledge of wise teaching; to be clear about the words of reason:

³ To be trained in the ways of wisdom, in righteousness and judging truly and straight behaviour:

⁴ To make the simple-minded sharp, and to give the young man knowledge, and serious purpose:

⁵ (The wise man, hearing, will get greater learning, and the acts of the man of good sense will be wisely guided:)

⁶ To get the sense of wise sayings and secrets, and of the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

¹² I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.