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/Eccl/ - Ecclesiastes
<< Proverbs
Song of Solomon >>
Ecclesiastes or, the Preacher
Ecclesiastes or, the Preacher
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30
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh,
even
the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2
Surely I
am
more brutish than
any
man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what
is
his name, and what
is
his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
5
Every word of God
is
pure: he
is
a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7
Two
things
have I required of thee; deny me
them
not before I die:
8
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9
Lest I be full, and deny
thee,
and say, Who
is
the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God
in vain.
10
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11
There is
a generation
that
curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12
There is
a generation
that are
pure in their own eyes, and
yet
is not washed from their filthiness.
13
There is
a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14
There is
a generation, whose teeth
are as
swords, and their jaw teeth
as
knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from
among
men.
15
The horseleach hath two daughters,
crying,
Give, give. There are three
things that are
never satisfied,
yea,
four
things
say not,
It is
enough:
16
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth
that
is not filled with water; and the fire
that
saith not,
It is
enough.
17
The eye
that
mocketh at
his
father, and despiseth to obey
his
mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18
There be three
things which
are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20
Such
is
the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21
For three
things
the earth is disquieted, and for four
which
it cannot bear:
22
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23
For an odious
woman
when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24
There be four
things which are
little upon the earth, but they
are
exceeding wise:
25
The ants
are
a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26
The conies
are but
a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
29
There be three
things
which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30
A lion
which is
strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom
there is
no rising up.
32
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil,
lay
thine hand upon thy mouth.
33
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
31
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2
What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4
It is
not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is
not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5
Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7
Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8
Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price
is
far above rubies.
11
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14
She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18
She perceiveth that her merchandise
is
good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19
She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20
She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household
are
clothed with scarlet.
22
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing
is
silk and purple.
23
Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24
She maketh fine linen, and selleth
it;
and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25
Strength and honour
are
her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26
She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue
is
the law of kindness.
27
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28
Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband
also,
and he praiseth her.
29
Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30
Favour
is
deceitful, and beauty
is
vain:
but
a woman
that
feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31
Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Ecclesiastes or, the Preacher
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.
2
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.
3
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?
4
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.
5
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.
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