The vanity of riches. Chap. ther faith be, For whom do I labour, and bereave my foul of good? This is alfo vanity, yea, it is a fore travail. 9¶ Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. 10 For if they tall, 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; out how can one be warm alone! 12 And if one prevail against him, two fhail with land him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. 13 Better is a poor and a wife child than an old and toolith king, who will no more be admonished. 14 For out of prifon he cometh to reign; whereas also be that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. 15 I confidered all the living which walk under the fun, with the fecond child that shall stand up in his Read. 16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they alfo that come after thall not rejoice in him. Surely this alfo is vanity and vexation of fpirit. CHAP. V. ■ Vanities in divine fervice, 8 in murmuring again oppreffon, 9 and in riches. 18 Joy in riches is the gift of God. KEEP thy toot when thou gocit to the houfe of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the facrince of fools: for they confider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rath with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any ching before God: ter God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of bufinefs; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4 When thou voweit a vow unto God, de. fer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hart vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou thouldeft vow and no pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to caufe thy fleth to fin; neither fay thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore fhould God be angry at thy voice, and denroy the work of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams an 1 many words there are alfo divers vanities: but fear thou God. 8 thou feeft the oppreffion of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and juf tice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highett regarueth; and there be higher than they. 9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is ferved by the field. 10 He that loveth filver shall not be fatisfied with filver; nor he that loveth abundance with increafe: this is alfo vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what good is there to the owners thereof, faving the beholding of them with their eyes' 12 The fleep of a labouring man is fweet, whether he eat little or much; but the aburdance of the rich will not fuffer him to sleep. 13 There is a fore evil which I have feen under the fun, namely, riches kept for the ⚫wners thereof to their hurt. v, vl, Other earthly vanities. 14 But thofe riches perith by evil travail : and he begetteth a fon, 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 hall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 16 And this alfo is a fore evil, that in all points as he came, fo fhall he go and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? 17 All his days alfo he eateth in darkness, and he hath much forrow and wrath with his fickness. 18 Behold that which I have feen: 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 fun all the days of his lite, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19 Every man alfo to whom God hath giv. en riches and wealth, and hath given hin. power to cat thereof, and to take his por tion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he thall not much remember the days of his life; because God anfwereth bim in the joy of his heart. VI. TH CHAP. The vanity of riches without use, 3 of children, 6 and of old age without riches. 9 The vanity of fight, and wandering depres. 11 The conclupon of vanities. Here is an evil which I have feen under the fun, and it is common among men : 2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, fo that he wanteth nothing for his foul of all that he dehreth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil difeafe. 3¶It a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, fo that the days of his years be many, and his foul be not nlled 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 departech in dark nefs. and his name thail be covered with darkness. 5 Moreover he hath not feen the fun, nor known any thing: this hath more reft than the other." 6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he feen 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 wife more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk betore the living? 9Better is the fight of the eyes than the wandering of the defire: this is also vanity and vexation of fpirit. 10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither 1.1y he contend with him that is mightier than he. Seeing there be many things that in creafe vanity, what is man the better? 12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain lite which he fpendeth as a fhadow? for who can tell a man what thall be after him under the fun? CHAP. VII. 1 Remedies againfì vanity are, a good name, T4 a mortin Remedies against vanity. ECCLESIASTES. a mortification, 7 patience, 11 wisdom. ment and the day of death than the 2It is better to go to the house of mourn ing, than to go to the houfe 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 fadness of the countenance the heart is made better. 4 The heart of the wife is in the houfe of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the houfe of mirth. 5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wife, than for a man to hear the fong of fools. 6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, fo is the laughter of the fool: this alfo is vanity. 7 Surely oppreffion maketh a wife man mad; and a gitt destroyeth the heart. 8 Better is the end of a thing than the be genteng anether; and he patient in fpirit is better than the proad in fpirit. 9 Be not hafty in thy fpirit to be angry: for anger refteth in the bofom of fools. To Say not thou, What is the caufe that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wifely concerning this. Wifdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that fee the fun. 12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of know. ledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 13 Confider the work of God: for who can make that ftraight, which he hath made crooked? 14 In the day of profperity be joyful, but in the day of adverfity confider: God alfo hath fet the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 15 All things have I feen in the days of my vanity there is a juft man that perifheth in his righteoufnefs, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thy felt over wife: why thouldeft thou deftroy thyself? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldeft thou die belore Chy time? 18 It is good that thou fhouldeft take hold of this: yea, alfo from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God fhall come forth of them all. 19 Wisdom ftrengtheneth the wife more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 20 For there is not a juft man upon earth, that doeth good, and finneth not. .1 Alfo take no heed unto all words that are fpoken; left thou hear thy fervant curfe thee. 22 For oftentimes alfo thine own heart knoweth that thou thy felt likewife haft curfed others. 23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I faid, I will be wife; but it was far from me. 24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25I applied mine heart to know, and to fearck, and to feek out wifdom, and the rea fon of things, and to know the wickedness of Kings to be refpelled. folly, even of foolishness and madness: woman whofe heart is fhares and nets, and 20 And I find more bitter than death the shall efcape from her; but the inner fhall her hands us bands: whofo pleaseth God be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, faith the the account; Preacher, counting one by ore, to find out 28 Which yet my foul feeketh, but I I found; but a woman among ail thofe have. find not: one man among a thousand have I not found. hath made man upright; but they have 29 Lo, this only have I found, that God fought out many inventions. CHAP. VIII. 12 It 2 Kings are greatly to be refpected. 6 The WHO is as the wife may ? and who know- mandment, and that tin regard of the oath 2 I counsel thee to keep the king's com of God. not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatfoever 3 Be not hafty to go out of his fight: ftand pleafeth him. power: and who may fay unto him, What 4 Where the word of a king is, there is doeft thou? s Whofo keepeth the commandment fhall difcerneth both time and judgment. feel no evil thing: and a wife man's heart 6 Because to every purpose there is time for who can tell him when it shall be? fpirit to retain the fpirit; neither hath be unto every work that is done under the fun TO Ard fo I faw the wicked buried, who ly, and they were forgotten in the city where had come and gone from the place of the hothey had fo done: this is alfo vanity. 1 Because fentence against an evil work of the fons of men is tully fet in them to do is not executed fpeedily, therefore the heart evil. 12 Though a finner do evil an hundred ed, neither shall he prolong his days, which 14 There is a vanity which is done upon the Is Then 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the fun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that thall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the fun. 16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to fee the butinefs that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night feeth fleep 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 fun because though a man labour to feek it out, yet he shall not find it: yea farther; though a wife man think to know it, yet shall be not be able to find it. CHAP. IX. Like things happen to food and bad. 4 There is a necef ty of death unto men. Comfort is all their portion in this life. 11 Ged's providence ruleth over all. 13 Wisdom is better than rength. FOR OR all this I confidered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wife, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love r 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 facrificeth, and to him that facrificeth not as is the good, fo is the finner; and he that fweareth, as be that feareth an oath. ? This is an evil among all things that are done under the fun, that there is one event unto all: yea, alfo the heart of the fons 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 liv. ing there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know that they fhall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Alfo 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 fun. 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 joy tully with the wife whom thou loveft all the days of the lite of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the fun, all the days of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this lite, and in thy labour which thou takeit under the fun. 10 What foever 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 goeft. 11 I returned, and faw under the fun, that the race is not to the fwift, nor the battle to the ftrong, neither yet bread to the wife, nor yet riches to men of underftanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all, 12 For man alfo knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and the birds that ar caught in the fnare; fo ix, x. 13 This wildom have I feen alfo under the fun, and it feemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it and there came a great king against it, and befieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wife man, and he by his wifdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that fame poor man. 16 Then faid I, Wisdom is better than ftrength: nevertheless, the poor man's wif dom is defpied, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wife 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 finner deftroyeth much good.. СНАР. Х. 1 Obfervations of wisdom and folly, 15 ofriot, 18 flothfulness, 19 and money. 20 Men's thoughts of kings ought to be reverent. DEA EAD flies cause the ointment of the apo thecary to fend forth a stinking favour: Jo doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2 A wife man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart is at his left. 3 Yea alfo, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom taileth him, and he faith to every one that he is a tool. 4 If the fpirit of the ruler rife up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding paci. fieth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have feen under the fun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler. 6 Folly is fet in great dignity, and the rich fit in low place. 7 I have feen fervants upon horses, and princes walking as fervants upon the earth. 8 He that diggeth a pit fhall fall into it; and whofo breaketh an hedge a ferpent thall bite him. 9 Whofo removeth ftones fhall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 10 It the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then mutt he put to more frength: but wildom is profitable to direct. 11 Surely the ferpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. 12 The words of a wife 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 mifchievous madness. 14 A fool alfo is full of words: a man can. not tell what shall be; and what shall be af ter 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 fon of nobles, and thy princes eat in due feafon, for ftrength and not for drunkenness ! 18 By much flothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. TS 19A feaft ie make team is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 20 Curfe not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curfe not the rich in thy bed. chamber: tor a bird of the air thall Carry the voice, and that which hath wings thall tell the matter. CHAP. XI. Directions for charity 7 Death in life, and the day of judgment, in the days of youth, are to be thought on. C AST thy bread upon the waters: for thou fhal: Sind it atter many days. 2 Give a portion to leven, and alfo to eight; for thou knoweit not what evil thall be upon the earth. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empy themfelves upon the earth: and it the tree fall toward the fouth, or oward the north, in the place where the tree alle h, here it thall be. 4 He that obferv n the wind thall not fow; and he that regardeth the clouis shall not reap. As thou knoweft not what is the way of the fpirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even fo thou knoweft not the works of God who maketh all. 6 In the morning fow thy feed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knoweft not whether thall profper, either this or that, or whether they both all be alike good. 7¶ Truly be light is fweet, and a pleafant thing it is for the eyes to behold the fun : 8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all: yet let him remember une days of darknefs; for they thall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth and le thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine hear, and in the fight or thine eyes, but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into juigment. 10 Therefore remove forrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy fleth for childhood and youth are vanity. CHAP. XII. 1 The Creator is to be remembered in due time. 8 The Preacher's care to edify. 13 The fear of God is the chief antidote of vanity. The fear of God. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou fhalt fay, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the fun, or the light, or the moon, or the flars, be no darkened, nor the clouds return atter the rain: 3 In the day when the keepers of the house thall tremble, and the strong men fhall bow therelves, and the grinters ceafe becaufe they are few, and thofe that look out of the windows be darkened, 4 And the doors thall be thut in the ftreers, when the found or the grinding is low, and he thali rife up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of mufick fall be brought low. $ Allo when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and cars ball be in the way, and the almond tree thall fourth, and the grafshopper thall be a ourden, and desire thail ail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the ftreets: 6 or ever the liver cord be looted, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 7 Then thall the duft return to the earth as it was: and the spirit fhall return unto God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, faith the Preacher; all is vanity. 9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wife, he till taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heel, and fought out, and fecin order, many proverbs. 10 The Preacher fought to find our acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truci. 11 The words of the wife are as goads, and as nails taftened by the matters or alemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by thefe, my fon, be admonished: ot making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 3 Let us hear the conclufion of the whole matter; Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God fhall bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. I The SONG of SOLOMON. king hath brought me into his chambers : we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. 51 am black, but comely, Oye daughters et Jerufalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the fun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards'; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom iny foul loveth, where thou feedeft, where thou makeft thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth afide by the flocks of thy companions? 8 Chriff and his church Chap. ii, iil, iv. 8 if thou know not, O thou taircft among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the rock, and feed thy kids beside the thepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of hores in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of old. We will make thee borders of gold, with ftuds of filver. 12 While the king fitteth at his table, my fpikenard fendeth forth the fmell thereof. 13 A bundle or myrrh s my well-beloved unto me; he thall lie all night betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art lair; thou baf doves' eyes. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: aifo our bed is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. I CHA P. II. The mutual love of Chrift and his church. 2 As the lily among thorns, fo is my love amorg the daughters 3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, fo is my beloved among the fons. I fat down under his tha low with great delight, and his fruit was fweer to my caite. 4 He brought me to the banqueting houfe, and his baruer over me was love. 5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am fick of love. 6 His leit hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jeru. falem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye ftit not up, nor awake my love, till he pleafe. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he flandeth behind cur wall, he looketh forth at the windows, thewing hirnfelf through the lattice. 10 My beloved fpake, and said unto me, Rife up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the finging of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land: 13 The fig tree purieth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good fmell. Arife, my love, my fair one, and come away. 140 my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the fecret places of the ftairs, let me fee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for fweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the toxes, the little foxes, that Spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lisics. The church's fight and villory, 17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved; and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. CHAP. III. 1 The church's fight and villory in tempta tion. 6 The church glorieth in Chrift. Bight on my bed I fought him whom my foul loveth: I fought him, but I found him not. in the streets, and in the broad ways I will feck him whom my foul loveth: I fought him, but I found him not. 2 I will rife now, and go about the city 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I faid, Saw ye him whom my foul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I paffed from them, but I found him whom my foul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's houfe, and into the chamber of her that con ceived me. 51 charge you, O ye daughters of Jeru falem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye itir not up, nor awake my love, till he pleafe. 6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of fmoke, perfumed with myrrh and trankincenfe, with all pow. ders of the merchant? 7 Behold his bed which is Solomon's; threefcore valiant men are about it, or the valiant of Ifrael. 8 They all hold fwords, being expert in war: every man bath his fword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himfelt a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of filver, the bottom thereot of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midft thereof being paved with love for the daughters of Jerufalem. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown where with his mother crowned him in the day of his efpoufals, and in the day of the gladnefs of his heart. CHAP. IV. 1 Chrifi fetteth forth the graces of the church: 8 hi heweth his love to her. 16 The church prayeth to be made fit for his prefence. B hold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou haft doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from mouat Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock of freep that are even thorn, which came up from the wafhing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of fcarlet, and thy fpecch is comely: thy temples are like a picce of a pomegranate within thy locks. 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David, builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all fhields of mighty men. 5 Thy two breafts are like two young rces that are twins, which seed among the lilics. 6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincenfe. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no fpot in thee. TO 8 Come |