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- ECCLESIASTES:
-
-
- CHAPTER 1
-
-
- 1. The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in
- Jerusalem.
-
- 2. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities;
- all is vanity.
-
- 3. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh
- under the sun?
-
- 4. One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh:
- but the earth abideth for ever.
-
- 5. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to
- his place where he arose.
-
- 6. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the
- north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again
- according to his circuits.
-
- 7. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full;
- unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return
- again.
-
- 8. All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye
- is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
-
- 9. The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that
- which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new
- thing under the sun.
-
- 10. Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new?
- it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
-
- 11. There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall
- there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those
- that shall come after.
-
- 12. I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
-
- 13. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom
- concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore
- travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised
- therewith.
-
- 14. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and,
- behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
-
- 15. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that
- which is wanting cannot be numbered.
-
- 16. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to
- great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have
- been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of
- wisdom and knowledge.
-
- 17. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and
- folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
-
- 18. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth
- knowledge increaseth sorrow.
-
-
- CHAPTER 2
-
-
- 1. I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with
- mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
-
- 2. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
-
- 3. I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet
- acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till
- I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they
- should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
-
- 4. I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me
- vineyards:
-
- 5. I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them
- of all kind of fruits:
-
- 6. I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that
- bringeth forth trees:
-
- 7. I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my
- house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle
- above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
-
- 8. I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure
- of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women
- singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical
- instruments, and that of all sorts.
-
- 9. So I was great, and increased more than all that were before
- me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
-
- 10. And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I
- withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all
- my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
-
- 11. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought,
- and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was
- vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the
- sun.
-
- 12. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and
- folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even
- that which hath been already done.
-
- 13. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light
- excelleth darkness.
-
- 14. The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in
- darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to
- them all.
-
- 15. Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it
- happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in
- my heart, that this also is vanity.
-
- 16. For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the
- fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall
- all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.
-
- 17. Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought
- under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation
- of spirit.
-
- 18. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun:
- because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
-
- 19. And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool?
- yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured,
- and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also
- vanity.
-
- 20. Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all
- the labour which I took under the sun.
-
- 21. For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in
- knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured
- therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and
- a great evil.
-
- 22. For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of
- his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
-
- 23. For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea,
- his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.
-
- 24. There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat
- and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his
- labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
-
- 25. For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than
- I?
-
- 26. For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom,
- and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to
- gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before
- God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
-
-
- CHAPTER 3
-
-
- 1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose
- under the heaven:
-
- 2. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a
- time to pluck up that which is planted;
-
- 3. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and
- a time to build up;
-
- 4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a
- time to dance;
-
- 5. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones
- together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
-
- 6. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time
- to cast away;
-
- 7. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence,
- and a time to speak;
-
- 8. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time
- of peace.
-
- 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he
- laboureth?
-
- 10. I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of
- men to be exercised in it.
-
- 11. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath
- set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work
- that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
-
- 12. I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to
- rejoice, and to do good in his life.
-
- 13. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the
- good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
-
- 14. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever:
- nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God
- doeth it, that men should fear before him.
-
- 15. That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath
- already been; and God requireth that which is past.
-
- 16. And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that
- wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that
- iniquity was there.
-
- 17. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the
- wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every
- work.
-
- 18. I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of
- men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that
- they themselves are beasts.
-
- 19. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts;
- even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the
- other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no
- preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
-
- 20. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to
- dust again.
-
- 21. Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the
- spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
-
- 22. Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that
- a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion:
- for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
-
-
- CHAPTER 4
-
-
- 1. So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are
- done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were
- oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their
- oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.
-
- 2. Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than
- the living which are yet alive.
-
- 3. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been,
- who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
-
- 4. Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that
- for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and
- vexation of spirit.
-
- 5. The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own
- flesh.
-
- 6. Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full
- with travail and vexation of spirit.
-
- 7. Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
-
- 8. There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath
- neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour;
- neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For
- whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also
- vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.
-
- 9. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for
- their labour.
-
- 10. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe
- to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to
- help him up.
-
- 11. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can
- one be warm alone?
-
- 12. And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and
- a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
-
- 13. Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish
- king, who will no more be admonished.
-
- 14. For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that
- is born in his kingdom becometh poor.
-
- 15. I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with
- the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
-
- 16. There is no end of all the people, even of all that have
- been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in
- him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
-
-
- CHAPTER 5
-
-
- 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be
- more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they
- consider not that they do evil.
-
- 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty
- to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon
- earth: therefore let thy words be few.
-
- 3. For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a
- fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
-
- 4. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he
- hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
-
- 5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou
- shouldest vow and not pay.
-
- 6. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say
- thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God
- be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
-
- 7. For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also
- divers vanities: but fear thou God.
-
- 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent
- perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at
- the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and
- there be higher than they.
-
- 9. Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself
- is served by the field.
-
- 10. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver;
- nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
-
- 11. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and
- what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of
- them with their eyes?
-
- 12. The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little
- or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to
- sleep.
-
- 13. There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun,
- namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
-
- 14. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a
- son, and there is nothing in his hand.
-
- 15. As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return
- to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he
- may carry away in his hand.
-
- 16. And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came,
- so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the
- wind?
-
- 17. All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much
- sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
-
- 18. Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one
- to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that
- he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth
- him: for it is his portion.
-
- 19. Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and
- hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and
- to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.
-
- 20. For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because
- God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
-
-
- CHAPTER 6
-
-
- 1. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is
- common among men:
-
- 2. A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so
- that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet
- God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it:
- this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.
-
- 3. If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so
- that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled
- with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an
- untimely birth is better than he.
-
- 4. For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and
- his name shall be covered with darkness.
-
- 5. Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this
- hath more rest than the other.
-
- 6. Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he
- seen no good: do not all go to one place?
-
- 7. All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite
- is not filled.
-
- 8. For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the
- poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?
-
- 9. Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the
- desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
-
- 10. That which hath been is named already, and it is known that
- it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than
- he.
-
- 11. Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is
- man the better?
-
- 12. For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the
- days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can
- tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
-
-
- CHAPTER 7
-
-
- 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.
-
-
- CHAPTER 8
-
-
- 1. Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of
- a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness
- of his face shall be changed.
-
- 2. I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in
- regard of the oath of God.
-
- 3. Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil
- thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.
-
- 4. Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say
- unto him, What doest thou?
-
- 5. Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a
- wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.
-
- 6. Because to every purpose there is time and judgment,
- therefore the misery of man is great upon him.
-
- 7. For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him
- when it shall be?
-
- 8. There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the
- spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is no
- discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that
- are given to it.
-
- 9. All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work
- that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth
- over another to his own hurt.
-
- 10. And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from
- the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where
- they had so done: this is also vanity.
-
- 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed
- speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in
- them to do evil.
-
- 12. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be
- prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that
- fear God, which fear before him:
-
- 13. But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he
- prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not
- before God.
-
- 14. There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there
- be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the
- wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according
- to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.
-
- 15. Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing
- under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for
- that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life,
- which God giveth him under the sun.
-
- 16. When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the
- business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that
- neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes:)
-
- 17. Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find
- out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man
- labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea farther;
- though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to
- find it.
-
-
- CHAPTER 9
-
-
- 1. For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all
- this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in
- the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that
- is before them.
-
- 2. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the
- righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to
- the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth
- not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he
- that feareth an oath.
-
- 3. This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun,
- that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons
- of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they
- live, and after that they go to the dead.
-
- 4. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope:
- for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
-
- 5. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know
- not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory
- of them is forgotten.
-
- 6. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now
- perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any
- thing that is done under the sun.
-
- 7. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a
- merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
-
- 8. Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no
- ointment.
-
- 9. Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of
- the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun,
- all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life,
- and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.
-
- 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for
- there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the
- grave, whither thou goest.
-
- 11. I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to
- the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the
- wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to
- men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
-
- 12. For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are
- taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the
- snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it
- falleth suddenly upon them.
-
- 13. This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed
- great unto me:
-
- 14. There was a little city, and few men within it; and there
- came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great
- bulwarks against it:
-
- 15. Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his
- wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor
- man.
-
- 16. Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless
- the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.
-
- 17. The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry
- of him that ruleth among fools.
-
- 18. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner
- destroyeth much good.
-
-
- CHAPTER 10
-
-
- 1. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth
- a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in
- reputation for wisdom and honour.
-
- 2. A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart
- at his left.
-
- 3. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his
- wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
-
- 4. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not
- thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
-
- 5. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error
- which proceedeth from the ruler:
-
- 6. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
-
- 7. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as
- servants upon the earth.
-
- 8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh
- an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
-
- 9. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that
- cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
-
- 10. If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must
- he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
-
- 11. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a
- babbler is no better.
-
- 12. The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips
- of a fool will swallow up himself.
-
- 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and
- the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
-
- 14. A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall
- be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
-
- 15. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them,
- because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
-
- 16. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy
- princes eat in the morning!
-
- 17. Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of
- nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not
- for drunkenness!
-
- 18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through
- idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
-
- 19. A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but
- money answereth all things.
-
- 20. Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the
- rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the
- voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
-
-
- CHAPTER 11
-
-
- 1. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after
- many days.
-
- 2. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest
- not what evil shall be upon the earth.
-
- 3. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the
- earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north,
- in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
-
- 4. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that
- regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
-
- 5. As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how
- the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so
- thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.
-
- 6. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not
- thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either
- this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.
-
- 7. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the
- eyes to behold the sun:
-
- 8. But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet
- let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All
- that cometh is vanity.
-
- 9. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer
- thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine
- heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all
- these things God will bring thee into judgment.
-
- 10. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil
- from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.
-
-
- CHAPTER 12
-
-
- 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the
- evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say,
- I have no pleasure in them;
-
- 2. While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be
- not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
-
- 3. In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and
- the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease
- because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be
- darkened,
-
- 4. And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of
- the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the
- bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
-
- 5. Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and
- fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and
- the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because
- man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
-
- 6. Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be
- broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel
- broken at the cistern.
-
- 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the
- spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
-
- 8. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
-
- 9. And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught
- the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and
- set in order many proverbs.
-
- 10. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that
- which was written was upright, even words of truth.
-
- 11. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by
- the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
-
- 12. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many
- books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
-
- 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,
- and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
-
- 14. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every
- secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
-