behold the tears of such as were opsed, and they had no comforter; and he 'side of the oppressors there was r; but they had no comforter. Wherefore I praised the dead which already dead, more than the living h are vet alive. "Yea, better is he than both they, which not yet been, who hath not seen the work that is done under the sun. Again, I considered all travail, and y right work, that for this a man is d of his neighbour. This is also vanity rexation of spirit. Concerning vows. 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 V. How to behave in the house of God. 4 Concerning vows. 9 The vanity of riches. 18 The enjoyment in them, the gift of God. [B. c. 977.] a The fool foldeth his hands together.KEEP thy foot when thou goest to the ateth his own flesh. Better is a handful with quietness, than he hands full with travail and vexation irit. 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 * Then I returned, and I saw vanity before God: for God is in heaven, and thou the sun. There is one alone, and there is not a 1; yea, he hath neither child nor broyet is there no end of all his labour; r is his 'eye satisfied with riches; er saith he, For whom do I labour, ereave my soul of good? This is also 7. yea, it is a sore travail. Two are better than one; because ave a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up llow but woe to him that is alone he falleth; for he hath not another to im up. Again, if two lie together, then they heat: but how can one be warm upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. 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. 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. C 3 If a man beget a 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. g i 11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? 3 h 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? a 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. 3Sorrow 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. 2 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 inquire wisely concerning this. 4 3 11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance and by it there is profit "to them that see the sun. Of its attainment. 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? 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. 24 That which is far off, and 'exceeding deep, who can find it out? 25 10 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 Heb. not in thy time? p Prov. 21. 22. & q 1 Kings 8. 46. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Prov. 20. 9. Rom. 3. Heb. give not thine heart. r Rom. 1. 22. s Job 28. t Rom. 11. 33. 10 Heb. I and my heart compassed. x Prov. 5. 3, 4. & 22. 14. 11 Heb. he that is good 10. 27. Heb. be desolate? 24. 5. ch. 9. 16, 18. 23. 1 John 1. 8. 12, 20. 1 Tim. 6. 16. u ch. 1. 17. & 2. 12. before God. y ch. 1. 1, 2. CHAPTER VIII. The end of the wick 10 And so I saw the wicked buried. w had come and gone from the place of t holy, and they were forgotten in the d where they had so done. This is d vanity. 11 Because sentence against an e work is not executed speedily, therefore t heart of the sons of men is fully set in th to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil a hund times, and his days be prolonged, yet sur Obedience to rulers enjoined. 6 Man's misery from not knowing I know that it shall be well with th the future. 9 An evil work sure to be punished. 12 The end of the righteous and of the wicked. 16 God's works unsearchable. [B. c. 977.] 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. 12 Or, weighing one thing after another, to find out the reason. z Job 33. 23. Ps. 12. 1. a Gen. 1. 27. b Gen. 3. 6, 7. CHAP. VIII.a Prov. 4. 8, 9. & 17. 24. See Acts 6. 15. 1 Heb. the strength. c 1 Chr. 29. 24. 4. 18. 2 Heb, shall know. b Deut. 28, 50. Ez. 17. 18. Rom. 13. 5. f ch. 3. 1. d ch. 10. 4. g Prov. 24. 22. ch. 6. 12. that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it shall not be well with wicked, neither shall he prolong his de which are as a shadow; because he fear not before God. 15 Then I commended mirth, becau man hath no better thing under the than to eat, and to drink, and to be me for that shall abide with him of his la the days of his life, which God giveth, under the sun. 16 When I applied mine heart to k wisdom, and to see the business that is upon the earth: for also there is that n day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes 17 Then I beheld all the work of that a man cannot find out the work is done under the sun: because thou man labour to seek it out, yet he shall find it; yea further; though a wise think to know it, yet shall he not be to find it. dal are forgotten. a ECCLESIASTES, X. OR all this I considered in my heart | This is an evil among all things that done under the sun, that there is one it unto all yea, also the heart of the of men is full of evil, and madness is eir heart while they live, and after that go to the dead. For to him that is joined to all the g there is hope: for a living dog is er than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, drink thy wine with a merry heart; for now accepteth thy works. Let thy garments be always white; let thy head lack no ointment. Live joyfully with the wife whom lovest all the days of the life of thy y. which he hath given thee under the all the days of thy vanity: 'for that portion in this life, and in thy labour thou takest under the sun. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, with thy might; for there is no work, device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in ave, whither thou goest." g I returned, and saw under the sun, the race is not to the swift, nor the X-Heb. I gave, or, set to my heart. a ch. 8. 14. b Job 21. 7, h ch. 8. 7. i Prov. 29, 6, h The benefit of wisdom. 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: k 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. 1 m 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. n 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. CHAPTER X. Sundry observations and maxims. [B. c. 977.] '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. a 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. b 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 |