Of wisdom, folly, riot, Sc. ECCLESIASTES. Directions for charity. 15 Now there was found in it a poor|decayeth; and through idleness of the wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered hands the house droppeth through. the city; yet no man remembered that 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 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 of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. CHAP. X. a EAD flies cause the ointment of the 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 is at his left. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walk-there it shall be. eth 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 a hedge, a serpent shall bite him. 9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 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? 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. 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. 16 T Wo 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 CHAP. XI. CAST thy bread upon the waters: for thou find it many days. 2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall upon the 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, 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 thy hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not 9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; whet the edge, then must he put to more and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy 11 Surely the serpent will bite without heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but enchantment; and a babbler is no better. know thou, that for all these things God 12 The words of a wise man's mouth will bring thee into judgment. 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. 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. 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. CHAP. XII. EMEMBER now thy Creator in the 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 The Creator to be remembered. CHAP. I, II. The church's love to Christ. bird, and all the daughters of music shall ledge: yea, he gave good heed, and sought be brought low ; out, and set in order many proverbs. 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that 10 The Preacher sought to find out acwhich is high, and fears shall be in the way, ceptable words: and that which was writand the almond-tree shall flourish, and the ten, was upright, even words of truth. grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire 11 The words of the wise are as goads, shall fail: because man goeth to his long and as nails fastened by the masters of ashome, and the mourners go about the semblies, which are given from one shepherd. streets: 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or 12 And further, by these, my son, be the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher admonished: of making many books there be broken at the fountain, or the wheel is no end; and much study is a weariness broken at the cistern. of the flesh. 13 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth Let us hear the conclusion of the as it was and the spirit shall return unto whole matter: Fear God, and keep his God who gave it. commandments: for this is the whole duty : 8¶ Vanity of vanities, saith the Preach- of man. er; all is vanity. 14 For God shall bring every work into 9 And moreover, because the Preacher judgment, with every secret thing, whewas wise, he still taught the people know- ther be good, or whether it be evil. ¶ The Song of SOLOMON. CHAP. I. TH junto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. HESong of songs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi. 3 Because of the savour of thy good 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; beointments thy name is as ointment poured hold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the 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. 5 I am black, but comely, Oye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. I jeyes. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. CHAP. II. 8 thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. 11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. 12 ¶ While the King sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 13 A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved AM the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. 2 As the lily among thorns, so is my 6 Look not upon me, because I am love among the daughters. black, because the sun hath looked upon 3 As the apple-tree among the trees of me: my mother's children were angry with the wood, so is my beloved among the me; they made me the keeper of the vine-sons. I sat down under his shadow with yards; but mine own vineyard have I not great delight, and his fruit was sweet to kept. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, 4 He brought me to the banqueting where thou feedest, where thou makest thy house, and his banner over me was love. flock to rest at noon: for why should I be 5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with as one that turneth aside by the flocks of apples: for I am sick of love. thy companions? my taste. 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 7 Icharge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. 9 My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wail, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice. 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Christ's care of the church. SOLOMON'S SONG. 11 For lo, the winter is past, the rain is day of his espousals, and in the day of the The graces of the church. over and gone; gladness of his heart. CHAP. IV. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; thou art hold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' 13 The fig-tree putteth forth her green flock of goats, that appear from mount eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 TO my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me bear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, 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 lilies. 17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart tains of Bether. upon the moun- lilies. CHAP. III. BY Y night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 5 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 6 T Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's: threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that washing; whereof every one beareth twins, are even shorn, which came up from the and none is barren among them. and thy speech is comely: thy temples are 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of builded for an armoury, whereon there mighty men. roes that are twins, which feed among the 5 Thy two breasts are like two young 2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my heart with one of thine eyes, with one sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my chain of thy neck. 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my spouse! how much better is thy love than 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my mother's house, and into the chamber of wine! and the smell of thine ointments her that conceived me. than all spices! 8 They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. 6 Until the day break, and the shadows myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. flee away, I will get me to the mountain of 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from honey-comb: honey and milk are under 11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomne- 14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and 15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, the spices thereof may flow out. Let my thou south; blow upon my garden, that beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. CHAP. V. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown with my spice; I have eaten my honeyAM come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh wherewith his mother crowned him in the comb with my honey; I have drunk my I 518 A description of Christ. CHAP. VI, VII. The graces of the church. wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. an army with banners. 2 TI sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. I 3 I have put off my coat; how shall put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? 4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. 6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. 7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. 8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. 5 1 rose up to open to my beloved; and 9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she my hands dropped with myrrh, and my is the only one of her mother, she is the fingers with sweet-smelling myrrh, upon choice one of her that bare her. The the handles of the lock. daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. 10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 11 I went down into the garden of nuts 7 The watchmen that went about the banners? city found me, they smote me, they wounded me: the keepers of the walls took to see the fruits of the valley, and to see away my vail from me. whether the vine flourished, and the pome 8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusa-granates budded. lem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. beloved more than ano 12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Ammi-nadib. 9 What is thou fairest among wo-return, that we may look upon thee. What 13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, ther beloved, men? what is thy beloved more than ano-will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were ther beloved, that thou dost so charge us? the company of two armies. CHAP. VII. 10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. 11 His head is as the most fine gold, his HOW beautiful are thy feet with shoes, locks are bushy, and black as a raven. prince's the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman. 12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. 2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor; thy belly is like heap of wheat set about with lilies. 3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. 13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh. a 4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine 14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory over-eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by laid with sapphires. the gate of Bath-rabbim: thy nose is as ward Damascus. 15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set the tower of Lebanon which looketh toupon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. 5 Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, 16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is and the hair of thy head like purple; altogether lovely. This is my beloved, the King is held in the galleries. and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. 6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights! CHAP. VI. W thou fairest among women? whither WHITHER is thy beloved gone, O 7 This thy stature is like to a palm-tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 8 I said, I will go up to the palm-tree, is thy beloved turned aside? that we may I will take hold of the boughs thereof: seek him with thee. now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of 2 My beloved is gone down into his the vine, and the smell of thy nose like garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in apples; the gardens, and to gather lilies. 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the 3 I am my beloved's and my beloved best wine for my beloved, that goeth down is mine: he feedeth among the lilies. sweetly, causing the lips of those that are 4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as asleep to speak. ISAIAH. Isarah's complaint of Judah. 6 Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong 11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave into the field; let us lodge in the villages. the coals thereof are coals of fire, which 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; hath a most vehement flame. let us see if the vine flourish, whether the 7 Many waters cannot quench love, neitender grape appear, and the pomegra- ther can the floods drown it: if a man nates bud forth: there will I give thee my would give all the substance of his house loves. for love, it would utterly be contemned. 8 ¶ We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? CHAP. VIII. 9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. 10 I am a wall, my breasts like THAT thou wert as my brother, that found favour. when I should find thee without, I would towers: then was I in his eyes as one that kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised. 2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate. 11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver. 3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me. 12 My vineyard which is mine, is before me: thou, O Solomon, must have a 4 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusa-thousand, and those that keep the fruit lem, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, until he please. 5 Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised thee up under the apple-tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee. The church's love to Christ. 10 ¶ I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. 13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved. thereof two hundred. 13 Thou that dwellest in the gardens, the companions hearken to thy voice: cause me to hear it. 14 ¶ Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices. ¶ The Book of the Prophet ISAIAH. CHAP. I. THE HE vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not 11 To what purpose is the multitude of know, my people doth not consider. your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: 4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight are corrupters! they have forsaken the LORD, not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel or of he-goats. • unto anger, they are gone away backward. 12 When ye come to appear before me, 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? who hath required this at your hand, to ye will revolt more and more: the whole tread my courts ? head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 13 Bring no more vain oblations: in6 From the sole of the foot even unto cense is an abomination unto me; the newthe head there is no soundness in it; but moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemwounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: blies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, they have not been closed, neither bound even the solemn meeting. up, neither mollified with ointment. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. 14 Your new-moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you 8 And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. 9 Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom: give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. |
