Ecclesiastes 7:16-25

16So do not try to be too good or too wise. That might cause you to have trouble.

17But do not be too wicked. Do not be a fool. That might cause you to die when you are still young.

18Remember both these things. Do not forget either of them. You can do that if you respect God and you obey him.

19Wisdom makes a wise person more powerful than ten rulers in a city.

20There is nobody on the earth who is so righteous that they always do what is right. There is nobody who never does a wrong thing.

21Do not listen to all the things that people say about you. You might hear your servant when he is cursing you!

22Do not forget that you also have often cursed other people.

23I have used wisdom to study all these things. I tried very much to understand everything that happens. But I could not do it.

24People cannot understand these things. The meaning of life is too difficult for anyone to understand.

25I decided to study many things so that I would become wise. I wanted to understand the reason why things happen. I also wanted to know why it is stupid to be wicked, and why it is crazy to do foolish things.