19One wise person is stronger than ten leading citizens of a town!

20Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.

21Don’t eavesdrop on others—you may hear your servant curse you.

22For you know how often you yourself have cursed others.

23I have always tried my best to let wisdom guide my thoughts and actions. I said to myself, “I am determined to be wise.” But it didn’t work.

24Wisdom is always distant and difficult to find.

25I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for things. I was determined to prove to myself that wickedness is stupid and that foolishness is madness.

26I discovered that a seductive woman7:26 Hebrew a woman. is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare.

27“This is my conclusion,” says the Teacher. “I discovered this after looking at the matter from every possible angle.

28Though I have searched repeatedly, I have not found what I was looking for. Only one out of a thousand men is virtuous, but not one woman!

29But I did find this: God created people to be virtuous, but they have each turned to follow their own downward path.”