If you want to accept God's
offer in his Son, say a prayer like this:
Jesus, I confess that you are not only the
most important person in history, but you are the Creator and Savior of the
world. Lord Jesus, I need you. I have done wrong. Please forgive me of my sins
and come into my life. I ask you not just to be part of my life, but to guide me
to live according to the words I read in the Bible. Thank you for your mercy and
forgiveness. I am now committed to be your follower.
Amen.
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The Book of Ecclesiastes
Chapter 1
001:001 The words of the Preacher, the son of David,
king in
Jerusalem.
001:002 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of
vanities;
all is vanity.
001:003 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he
taketh under
the sun?
001:004 One generation passeth away, and another
generation cometh:
but the earth
abideth for ever.
001:005 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and
hasteth to
his place where he
arose.
001:006 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.
001:007 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.
001:008 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter
it: the eye is
not satisfied with
seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
001:009 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.
001:010 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See,
this is new?
it hath been already
of old time, which was before us.
001:011 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.
001:012 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
001:013 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.
001:014 I have seen all the works that are done under the
sun; and,
behold, all is vanity
and vexation of spirit.
001:015 That which is crooked cannot be made straight:
and that which
is wanting cannot
be numbered.
001:016 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.
001:017 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know
madness and
folly: I perceived
that this also is vexation of spirit.
001:018 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that
increaseth
knowledge increaseth
sorrow.
002:001 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove
thee with mirth,
therefore enjoy
pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
002:002 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
002:003 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.
002:004 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I
planted me
vineyards:
002:005 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted
trees in them of
all kind of
fruits:
002:006 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the
wood that
bringeth forth
trees:
002:007 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:
002:008 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.
002:009 So I was great, and increased more than all that
were before
me in Jerusalem: also
my wisdom remained with me.
002:010 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.
002:011 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.
002:012 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.
002:013 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as
light
excelleth darkness.
002:014 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.
002:015 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.
002:016 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.
002:017 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.
002:018 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.
002:019 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.
002:020 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to
despair of all the
labour which I
took under the sun.
002:021 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.
002:022 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the
vexation of
his heart, wherein he
hath laboured under the sun?
002:023 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail
grief; yea, his
heart taketh not
rest in the night. This is also vanity.
002:024 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.
002:025 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?
002:026 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.
003:001 To every thing there is a season, and a time to
every purpose
under the
heaven:
003:002 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to
plant, and a
time to pluck up that
which is planted;
003:003 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to
break down, and
a time to build
up;
003:004 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to
mourn, and a
time to dance;
003:005 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather
stones
together; a time to
embrace, and a time to refrain
from
embracing;
003:006 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to
keep, and a time
to cast away;
003:007 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep
silence, and
a time to speak;
003:008 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of
war, and a time
of peace.
003:009 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
003:010 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to
the sons of
men to be exercised in
it.
003:011 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.
003:012 I know that there is no good in them, but for a
man to
rejoice, and to do good in
his life.
003:013 And also that every man should eat and drink, and
enjoy the
good of all his labour,
it is the gift of God.
003:014 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.
003:015 That which hath been is now; and that which is to
be hath
already been; and God
requireth that which is past.
003:016 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of
judgment, that
wickedness was
there; and the place of righteousness,
that
iniquity was there.
003:017 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.
003:018 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.
003:019 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.
003:020 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and
all turn to
dust again.
003:021 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward,
and the
spirit of the beast that
goeth downward to the earth?
003:022 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?
004:001 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.
004:002 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already
dead more than
the living which
are yet alive.
004:003 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.
004:004 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.
004:005 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.
004:006 Better is an handful with quietness, than both
the hands full
with travail and
vexation of spirit.
004:007 Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
004:008 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.
004:009 Two are better than one; because they have a good
reward for
their labour.
004:010 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.
004:011 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat:
but how can
one be warm alone?
004:012 And if one prevail against him, two shall
withstand him; and a
threefold
cord is not quickly broken.
004:013 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and
foolish
king, who will no more be
admonished.
004:014 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas
also he that is
born in his
kingdom becometh poor.
004:015 I considered all the living which walk under the
sun, with the
second child that
shall stand up in his stead.
004:016 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.
005:001 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.
005:002 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.
005:003 For a dream cometh through the multitude of
business; and a
fool's voice is
known by multitude of words.
005:004 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.
005:005 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than
that thou
shouldest vow and not
pay.
005:006 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?
005:007 For in the multitude of dreams and many words
there are also
divers vanities:
but fear thou God.
005:008 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.
005:009 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the
king himself
is served by the
field.
005:010 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with
silver; nor
he that loveth
abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
005:011 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?
005:012 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.
005:013 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the
sun, namely,
riches kept for the
owners thereof to their hurt.
005:014 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he
begetteth a
son, and there is
nothing in his hand.
005:015 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.
005:016 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?
005:017 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he
hath much
sorrow and wrath with
his sickness.
005:018 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.
005:019 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.
005:020 For he shall not much remember the days of his
life; because
God answereth him in
the joy of his heart.
006:001 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,
and it is
common among men:
006:002 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.
006:003 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.
006:004 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in
darkness, and
his name shall be
covered with darkness.
006:005 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any
thing: this
hath more rest than
the other.
006:006 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told,
yet hath he
seen no good: do not
all go to one place?
006:007 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet
the appetite
is not filled.
006:008 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what
hath the poor,
that knoweth to
walk before the living?
006:009 Better is the sight of the eyes than the
wandering of the
desire: this is
also vanity and vexation of spirit.
006:010 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.
006:011 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity,
what is man
the better?
006:012 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?
007:001 A good name is better than precious ointment; and
the day of
death than the day of
one's birth.
007:002 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.
007:003 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the
sadness of the
countenance the
heart is made better.
007:004 The heart of the wise is in the house of
mourning; but the
heart of fools
is in the house of mirth.
007:005 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than
for a man to
hear the song of
fools.
007:006 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is
the laughter
of the fool: this
also is vanity.
007:007 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a
gift destroyeth
the heart.
007:008 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning
thereof: and
the patient in spirit
is better than the proud in spirit.
007:009 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger
resteth in
the bosom of fools.
007:010 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former
days were
better than these? for
thou dost not enquire wisely
concerning
this.
007:011 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it
there is profit
to them that see
the sun.
007:012 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.
007:013 Consider the work of God: for who can make that
straight,
which he hath made
crooked?
007:014 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.
007:015 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.
007:016 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself
over wise:
why shouldest thou
destroy thyself ?
007:017 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish:
why
shouldest thou die before thy
time?
007:018 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.
007:019 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten
mighty men which
are in the
city.
007:020 For there is not a just man upon earth, that
doeth good, and
sinneth not.
007:021 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken;
lest thou
hear thy servant curse
thee:
007:022 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that
thou thyself
likewise hast cursed
others.
007:023 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will
be wise; but
it was far from
me.
007:024 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who
can find it
out?
007:025 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:
007:026 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.
007:027 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher,
counting one by
one, to find out
the account:
007:028 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.
007:029 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made
man upright;
but they have sought
out many inventions.
008:001 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.
008:002 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment,
and that in
regard of the oath of
God.
008:003 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in
an evil
thing; for he doeth
whatsoever pleaseth him.
008:004 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and
who may say
unto him, What doest
thou?
008:005 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil
thing: and a
wise man's heart
discerneth both time and judgment.
008:006 Because to every purpose there is time and
judgment, therefore
the misery of
man is great upon him.
008:007 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who
can tell him
when it shall be?
008:008 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.
008:009 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.
008:010 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.
008:011 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.
008:012 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:
008:013 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.
008:014 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.
008:015 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.
008:016 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:)
008:017 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.
009:001 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.
009:002 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.
009:003 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.
009:004 For to him that is joined to all the living there
is hope: for
a living dog is
better than a dead lion.
009:005 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.
009:006 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.
009:007 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy
wine with a
merry heart; for God
now accepteth thy works.
009:008 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy
head lack no
ointment.
009:009 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.
009:010 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.
009:011 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.
009:012 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.
009:013 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and
it seemed
great unto me:
009:014 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:
009:015 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.
009:016 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength:
nevertheless the
poor man's wisdom
is despised, and his words are not heard.
009:017 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more
than the cry of
him that ruleth
among fools.
009:018 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one
sinner
destroyeth much good.
010:001 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.
010:002 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a
fool's heart at
his left.
010:003 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.
010:004 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee,
leave not thy
place; for yielding
pacifieth great offences.
010:005 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,
as an error
which proceedeth from
the ruler:
010:006 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
010:007 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes
walking as
servants upon the
earth.
010:008 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and
whoso breaketh
an hedge, a serpent
shall bite him.
010:009 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith;
and he that
cleaveth wood shall be
endangered thereby.
010:010 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.
010:011 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment;
and a
babbler is no better.
010:012 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but
the lips of
a fool will swallow up
himself.
010:013 The beginning of the words of his mouth is
foolishness: and
the end of his
talk is mischievous madness.
010:014 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell
what shall be;
and what shall be
after him, who can tell him?
010:015 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of
them, because
he knoweth not how
to go to the city.
010:016 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child,
and thy princes
eat in the
morning!
010:017 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!
010:018 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and
through
idleness of the hands the
house droppeth through.
010:019 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh
merry: but money
answereth all
things.
010:020 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.
011:001 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt
find it after
many days.
011:002 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for
thou knowest
not what evil shall
be upon the earth.
011:003 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.
011:004 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he
that
regardeth the clouds shall
not reap.
011:005 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.
011:006 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.
011:007 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it
is for the
eyes to behold the
sun:
011:008 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.
011:009 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.
011:010 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put
away evil from
thy flesh: for
childhood and youth are vanity.
012:001 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;
012:002 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the
stars, be not
darkened, nor the
clouds return after the rain:
012:003 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,
012:004 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;
012:005 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:
012:006 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.
012:007 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it
was: and the
spirit shall return
unto God who gave it.
012:008 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
012:009 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.
012:010 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words:
and that
which was written was
upright, even words of truth.
012:011 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails
fastened by
the masters of
assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
012:012 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.
012:013 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God, and
keep his
commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
012:014 For God shall bring every work into judgment,
with every
secret thing, whether
it be good, or whether it be evil.