44 The righteous is delivered upright the city is exalted : but out of trouble, and the wicked it is overthrown by the mouth cometh in his stead.

of the wicked. 45 When it goeth well with 47 By mercy and truth ini. the righteous, the city rejoiceth: quity is purged; and by the and when the wicked perish, fear of the Lord men depart there is shouting.

from evil. 46 By the blessing of the

Secrion XVII.- Ecclesiustes, or the Preacher.

:

LESSON LXXXII.

9 The thing that hath been,

it is that which shall be; and The words of the Preacher, So- that which is done, is that which lomon, the son of David, king of shall be done: and there is no Jerusalem.

new thing under the sun. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith 10 Is there any thing whereof the Preacher, vanity of vanities; it may be said, See, this is new? all is vanity.

it hath been already of old time 3 What profit hath a man of which was before us. all his labour which he taketh 11 There is no remembrance under the sun ?

of former things; neither shall 4 One generation passeth there be any remembrance of away, and another generation things that are to come, with cometh : but the earth abideth those that shall come after. for ever.

12 I, the Preacher, was king 5 The sun also ariseth, and over Israel in Jerusalem. the sun goeth down, and hasteth 13 And I gave my heart to to his place where he arose. seek and search out by wisdom

6 The wind goeth toward the concerning all things that are south, and turneth about unto done under heaven : this sore the north ; it whirleth about travail hath God given to the continually, and the wind re- sons of man to be exercised turneth again according to his therewith. circuits.

14 I have seen all the works 7 All the rivers run into the that are done under the sun; sea; yet the sea is not full: and behold, all is vanity and unto the place from whence the vexation of spirit. rivers come, thither they return 15 That which is crooked again.

cannot be made straight : and 8 All things are full of lam that which is wanting cannot bour; man cannot utter it: the be numbered. eye is not satisfied with see- 16 I communed with mine ing, nor the ear filled with hear. own heart, saying, Lo, I am ing

come to great estate, and have

:

sorrow.

;

gotten more wisdom than all 8 I gathered me also silver they that have been before me and gold, and the peculiar treain Jerusalem : yea, my heart sure of kings and of the prohad great experience of wisdom vinces : I gat me men-singers and knowledge.

and women-singers, and the 17 And I gave my heart to delights of the sons of men, as know wisdom, and to know musical instruments, and that madness and folly : I perceived of all sorts. that this also is vexation of 9 So I was great, and inspirit.

creased more than all that were 18. For in much wisdom is before me in Jerusalem : also much grief: and he that in- my wisdom remained with me. creaseth knowledge, increaseth

10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them; I

withheld not my heart from any LESSON LXXXIII.

joy; for my heart rejoiced in all

my labour : and this was my I said in mine heart, Go to now, portion of all my

labour. I will prove thee with mirth, 11 Then I looked on all therefore enjoy pleasure: and the works that my hands had behold, this also is vanity. wrought, and on the labour that

2 I said of laughter, It is mad: I had laboured to do: and beand of mirth, What doeth it? hold, all was vanity and vexation

3 I sought in mine heart to of spirit, and there was no progive myself unto wine (yet ac- fit under the sun. quainting mine heart with wis- (12 And I turned myself to dom); and to lay hold on folly, behold wisdom, and madness, till I might see what was that and folly: for what can the man good for the sons of men which do that cometh after the king? they should do under the heaven even that which hath been alall the days of their life. ready done.

4 I made me great works; I 13 Then I saw that wisdom builded me houses; I planted excelleth folly as far as light exme vineyards :

celleth darkness. 5 I made me gardens and 14 The wise man's eyes are orchards, and I planted trees in his head; but the fool walkin them of all kind of fruits : eth in darkness : and I myself

6 I made me pools of water, perceived also that one event to water therewith the wood happeneth to them all. that bringeth forth trees :

15 Then said I in my heart, 7 I got me servants and maid- As it happeneth to the fool, so ens, and had servants born in it happeneth even to me; and my house ; also I had great why was I then more wise ? possessions of great and small Then I said in my heart, that cattle, above all that were in this also is vanity. Jerusalem before me :

brance of the wise more than of labour. This also I saw, that it the fool for ever; seeing that was from the hand of God. which now is, in the days to 25 For who can eat, or who come shall all be forgotten. else can hasten hereunto more And how dieth the wise man} than I ? as the fool.

26 For God giveth to a man 17 Therefore I hated life; be- that is good in his sight, wiscause the work that is wrought dom, and knowledge, and joy : under the sun is grievous unto but to the sinner he giveth trame: for all is vanity and vex. vail, to gather and to heap up, ation of spirit.

that he may give to him that is 18 Yea, I hated all my la- good before God. This also is bour which I had taken under vanity and vexation of spirit. the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

LESSON LXXXIV. 19 And who knoweth whe- To every thing there is a seather he shall be a wise man, or son; and a time to every pura fool ? yet shall he have rule pose under the heaven: over all my labour wherein I 2 A time to be born, and a have laboured, and wherein I time to die; a time to plant, have shewed myself wise under and a time to pluck up that the sun. This is also vanity.

which is planted ; 20 Therefore I went about 3 A time to kill, and a time to cause my heart to despair of to heal; a time to break down, all the labour which I took un- and a time to build up; der the sun.

4 A time to weep, and a time 21 For there is a man whose to laugh; a time to mourn, and labour is in wisdom, and in a time to dance; knowledge, and in equity; yet 5 A time to cast away stones, to a man that hath not laboured and a time to gather stones totherein shall he leave it for his gether; a time to embrace, and a portion. This also is vanity, time to refrain from embracing. and a great evil.

6 A time to get, and a time 22 For what hath man of all to lose ; a time to keep, and a his labour, and of the vexation time to cast away. of his heart, wherein he hath 7 A time to rend, and a time laboured under the sun ? to sew; a time to keep silence,

23 For all his days are sor- and a time to speak; rows, and his travail grief: yea, 8 A time to love, and a time his heart taketh not rest in the to hate; a time of war, and a night. This is also vanity. time of

peace. 24 There is nothing better 19 What profit hath he that for a man than that he should worketh, in that wherein he eat and drink, and that he should laboureth ? make his soul enjoy good in his 10 I have seen the travail

a

a

a

it.

which God hath given to the even one thing befalleth them: sons of men to be exercised in as the one dieth, so dieth the

other; yea, they have all one 11 He hath made every thing breath ; so that a man hath no beautiful in his time : also he pre-eminence above a beast : hath set the world in their heart, for all is vanity. so that no man can find out the 20 All go unto one place; all work that God maketh from the are of the dust, and all turn to beginning to the end.

dust again. 12 I know that there is no 21 Who knoweth the spirit good in them, but for a man to of man that goeth upward, and rejoice, and to do good in his the spirit of the beast that goeth life.

downward to the earth? 13 And also that every man 22 Wherefore I perceive that should eat and drink, and enjoy there is nothing better than that the good of all his labour, it is a man should rejoice in his own the gift of God.

works; for that is his portion : 14 I know that whatsoever for who shall bring him to see God doeth, it shall be for ever: what shall be after him? nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and

LESSON LXXXV. God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

So I returned, and considered 15 That which hath been is all the oppressions that are done now; and that which is to be under the sun: and behold, the hath already been; and God tears of such as were oppressed, requireth that which is past. and they had no comforter; and

| 16 And moreover, I saw on the side of their oppressors under the sun the place of there was power; but they had judgement that wickedness no comforter. was there; and the place of 2 Wherefore I praised the righteousness, that iniquity dead which are already dead, was there.

more than the living which are 17 I said in mine heart, God yet alive. shall judge the righteous and 3 Yea, better than both they the wicked : for there is a time is he which hath not yet been, there for every purpose, and for who hath not seen the evil work

that is done under the sun. 18 I said in mine heart con. 4 Again, I considered all cerning the estate of the sons travail, and every right work, of men, that God might mani- that for this a man is envied of fest them, and that they might his neighbour. This is also vasee that they themselves are nity and vexation of spirit. beasts.

5 The fool foldeth his hands 19 For that which befalleth together, and eateth his own the sons of men, befalleth beasts; flesh.

every work.

6 Better is an handful with after shall not rejoice in him. quietness, than both the hands Surely this also is vanity and full with travail and vexation of vexation of spirit. spirit.

17 Then I returned, and I LESSON LXXXVI. saw vanity under the sun.

8 There is one alone, and KEEPthy foot when thou goest to there is not a second; yea, he the house of God, and be more hath neither child nor brother : ready to hear, than to give the yet is there no end of all his sacrifice of fools: for they conlabour; neither is his eye satis- sider not that they do evil. fied with riches; neither saith 2 Be not rash with thymouth, he, For whom do I labour, and and let not thine heart be hasty bereave my soul of good ? This to utter any thing before God : is also vanity, yea, it is a sore for God is in heaven, and thou travail.

upon earth : therefore let thy 19 Two are better than one; words be few. because they have a good reward 3 Foradream cometh through for their labour.

the multitude of business: and a 10 For if they fall, the one fool's voice is known by multiwill lift

up

his fellow: but woe tude of words. to him that is alone when he 4 When thou vowest a vow falleth : for he hath not another unto God, defer not to pay it; to help him up.

for he hath no pleasure in fools : 11 Again, if two lie together, pay that which thou hast vowed. then they have heat: but how 5 Betterisit that thou shouldcan one be warm alone?

est not vow, than that thou 12 And if one prevail against shouldest vow and not pay. him, two shall withstand him ; 6 Suffer not thy mouth to anda threefoldcord is notquickly cause thy flesh to sin; neither broken.

say thou before the angel, that 13 Better is a poor and a it was an error: whereforeshould wise child, than an old and God be angry at thy voice, and foolish king who will no more destroy the work of thine hands? be admonished.

7 For in the multitude of 14 Foroutof prison hecometh dreams and many words there to reign; whereas also he that is are also divers vanities ; but born in his kingdom becometh fear thou God. poor.

18 If thou seest the oppres15 I considered all the living sion of the poor, and violent which walk under the sun, with perverting of judgement and the second child that shall stand justice in a province, marvel up in his stead.

not at the matter : for he that 16 There is no end of all the is higher than the highest repeople, even of all that have been gardeth, and there be higher before them: they also that come

than they