Ecclesiastes 7 Cross References - Leeser

¹ A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, better 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; inasmuch as that is the end of all men: and let the living lay it to his heart. ³ Better is vexation than laughing; for through 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 joy. ⁵ It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than that a man should hear the song of fools. ⁶ For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool. Also this is vanity. ⁷ For exercising oppression maketh a wise man mad; and bribery corrupteth the heart. ⁸ Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: better is the patient in spirit than the proud in spirit. ⁹ Be not rash in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in bosom of fools. ¹⁰ Thou must not say, How was it that the former days were better than these? for it is not out of wisdom that thou askest concerning this. ¹¹ Wisdom is better than an inheritance, yea, preferable for those that see the sun; ¹² For under the shadow of wisdom a man is equally well as under the shadow of money; but the superior excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to him that possesseth it. ¹³ Consider then the work of God; for who can make straight what he hath made crooked? ¹⁴ On the day of prosperity be happy, but on the day of adversity look on: also this hath God made in equal measure with the other, to the end that man should not find the least to censure him. ¹⁵ All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is many a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is many a wicked man that liveth long in his wickedness.— ¹⁶ Be not righteous over much; neither show thyself over wise: why wouldst thou destroy thyself? ¹⁷ Be not wicked over much, and be no fool: why wouldst thou die before thy time? ¹⁸ It is good that thou shouldst take hold of that, and that also from this thou withdraw not thy hand; for he that feareth God will come forth out of them all. ¹⁹ Wisdom giveth more strength to the wise than ten rulers which were in the city. ²⁰ For no man is so righteous upon earth, that he should do always good, and never sin.— ²¹ Also take no heed unto all the words that are spoken: lest thou hear thy servant cursing thee. ²² For oftentimes also doth thy own heart know that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.— ²³ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴ Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out? ²⁵ Then I turned myself about together with my heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and experience, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness. ²⁶ And I find as more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bonds: he that is deemed good before God will escape from her; but the sinner will be caught by her. ²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, adding one to the other, to find experience, ²⁸ What my soul constantly sought, but I found it not; one man among a thousand did I find; but a woman among all these did I not find. ²⁹ Lo, this only did I find, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought for many sinful devices.

²⁶ And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and they shall have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heaven, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. ²⁷ And God created man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

⁵ For God doth know, that, on the day ye eat thereof, your eyes will be opened, and ye will be as God, knowing good and evil. ⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.

⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. ⁷ And the eyes of both of them were opened, and they felt that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering he had no respect; and it was very displeasing to Cain, and his countenance fell. ⁶ And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

⁸ And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

¹ This is the book of the generations of Adam. On the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him:

⁵ And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

¹¹ And the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

⁴ And they said, Go to, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower, the top of which may reach unto heaven; and let us make ourselves a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. ⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man were building. ⁶ And the Lord said, Behold, it is one people, and they have all one language, and this is the first thing they undertake to do; and now shall they not be restrained in all which they have imagined to do?

⁷ And the sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard it, and the men were grieved, and it excited their anger greatly; because he had wrought a disgraceful thing in Israel to lie with the daughter of Jacob, and this ought not to be done.

⁷ And the sons of Jacob came from the field when they heard it, and the men were grieved, and it excited their anger greatly; because he had wrought a disgraceful thing in Israel to lie with the daughter of Jacob, and this ought not to be done. ⁸ And Chamor spoke with them, saying, The soul of Shechem my son longeth for your daughter; give her, I pray you, unto him for wife.

²⁵ And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took each his sword, and came upon the city unresisted and slew all the males. ²⁶ And they slew Chamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword; and they took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out.

³⁰ And Jacob said unto Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, to cause me to be hated among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and as I am but few in number, they may gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I would be destroyed, I and my house. ³¹ And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?

⁷ And ‘Er, Judah’s first-born, was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord; and the Lord slew him. ⁸ And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and take her, as her brother-in-law, and raise up seed to thy brother. ⁹ Onan thus knew that the seed should not be his, and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother’s wife, that he spilled it on the ground, so as not to give seed unto his brother. ¹⁰ And the thing which he did was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord: wherefore he slew him also.

⁹ And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

¹ And it came to pass after these things, that some one said to Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick; and he took his two sons with him, Menasseh and Ephraim. ² And some one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph is coming unto thee; and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. ³ And Jacob said unto Joseph, God, the Almighty, appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, ⁴ And he said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and I will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. ⁵ And now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, shall be mine; Ephraim and Menasseh shall be unto me as Reuben and Simeon. ⁶ And thy issue, which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, after the name of their brothers shall they be called in their inheritance. ⁷ And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was some distance to come unto Ephrath: and I buried her there on the way of Ephrath, the same is Beth-lechem. ⁸ And Israel perceived the sons of Joseph, and said, Who are these? ⁹ And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim through age, he could not see; and he brought them near unto him, and he kissed them, and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said unto Joseph, To see thy face I had not hoped; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed. ¹² And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. ¹³ And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Menasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them near unto him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Menasseh’s head; he laid his hands wittingly; although Menasseh was the first-born. ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph, and said, The God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God who fed me from my first being unto this day, ¹⁶ The angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be called on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. ¹⁷ And when Joseph saw that his father would lay his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he took hold of his father’s hand, to remove it from the head of Ephraim unto the head of Menasseh. ¹⁸ And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father; for this is the first-born, put thy right hand upon his head. ¹⁹ And his father refused, and said, I know, my son, I know, he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. ²⁰ And he blessed them that day, saying, With thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim and Menasseh: and so he set Ephraim before Menasseh. ²¹ And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers ²² Moreover I have given unto thee one portion above thy brothers, which I took out of the hand of the Emorite with my sword and with my bow.

² Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. ³ Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power should be thine. ⁴ Unstable as water, thou shalt not have the excellence; because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed; then defiledst thou the one who ascended my couch. ⁵ Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence are their swords. ⁶ Into their secret shall my soul not come; unto their assembly my spirit shall not be united; for in their anger they slew the man, and in their self-will they lamed the ox. ⁷ Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. ⁸ Judah, thou art the one thy brothers shall praise, thy hand shall be on the neck of thy enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down unto thee. ⁹ Like a lion’s whelp, O Judah, from the prey, my son, thou risest: he stoopeth down, he croucheth as a lion, and as a lioness, who shall rouse him up? ¹⁰ The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet; until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. ¹¹ He bindeth unto the vine his foal, and to the vine-branch his ass’s colt; he washeth his garments in wine, and in the blood of grapes his clothes; ¹² His eyes shall be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk. ¹³ Zebulun shall dwell at the margin of the seas; and he shall be at the haven of ships; and his border shall be near to Zidon. ¹⁴ Issachar is a strong-boned ass, couching down between the stables. ¹⁵ And when he saw the resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant, he bent his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute. ¹⁶ Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁷ Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder on the path, that biteth the horse in the heels, so that his rider falleth backward. ¹⁸ For thy salvation, I hope, O Lord. ¹⁹ Gad, troops will band against him; but he shall wound their heel. ²⁰ Out of Asher cometh fat bread, and he shall yield royal dainties. ²¹ Naphtali is like a fleet hind; he bringeth pleasant words. ²² Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring; the branches of which run over the wall. ²³ And they embittered his life, and they shot at him, and they hated him, the men of the arrows. ²⁴ But his bow abode in strength, and his arm and his hands remained firm; from the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from there thou becamest the shepherd, the stone of Israel. ²⁵ From the God of thy father, who will help thee; and from the Almighty, who will bless thee, with blessings of heaven above, with blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, with blessings of the breasts, and of the womb; ²⁶ With the blessings of thy father that have excelled the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: these shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separated from his brothers. ²⁷ Benjamin shall be as a wolf that rendeth: in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at evening he shall divide the spoil. ²⁸ All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve in number; and this is what their father spoke unto them, and wherewith he blessed them; every one according to his proper blessing blessed he them. ²⁹ And he charged them and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people; bury me near my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which field Abraham bought of Ephron the Hittite, for a possession as a burying-place, ³¹ (There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah,) ³² Purchasing the field and the cave that is therein from the children of Heth. ³³ And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed; and he departed this life, and was gathered unto his people.

¹⁵ And when Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, Peradventure Joseph may now hate us: and then he would certainly requite us all the evil which we have done unto him. ¹⁶ And they sent word unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before his death, saying, ¹⁷ So shall ye say unto Joseph, O forgive, I pray thee, the trespass of thy brothers, and their sin; for evil have they done unto thee: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father; and Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.

⁸ And thou shalt take no bribe; for the bribe blindeth the clear-sighted, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob, and number the fourth part of Israel? May my soul die the death of the righteous, and may my last end be like his!

³ And he afflicted thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and he gave thee manna to eat, which thou knewest not, and which thy fathers had not known; in order that he might make thee know that not by bread alone man doth live, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

¹⁹ Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, and thou shalt not take a bribe; for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

³³ The fruit of thy soil, and all thy exertion, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt only be oppressed and crushed all the days. ³⁴ And thou shalt become mad from the sight of thy eyes which thou wilt see.

⁴⁷ For the reason that thou didst not serve the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, while there was an abundance of all things;

⁶⁵ And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, and there shall not be any rest for the sole of thy foot: and the Lord will give thee there a trembling heart, and a failing of eyes, and a faintness of soul.

¹¹ For this commandment which I command thee this day, is not hidden from thee, nor is it far off. ¹² It is not in heaven; that thou shouldst say, Who will go up for us to heaven, and fetch it down unto us, and cause us to hear it, that we may do it? ¹³ Neither is it beyond the sea; that thou shouldst say, Who will go over the sea for us, and fetch it unto us, and cause us to hear it, that we may do it! ¹⁴ But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

¹⁹ I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse; therefore choose thou life, in order that thou mayest live, both thou and thy seed; ²⁰ To love the Lord thy God, to hearken to his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them.

²⁹ If they were but wise, they would understand this, they would consider their latter end!

⁴⁶ He said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify against you this day, so that ye may command them your children, to observe to do all the words of this law. ⁴⁷ For it is not a vain word for you; on the contrary, it is your life; and through this word shall ye live many days in the land, whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it.

¹³ Rise up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow; for thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, An accursed thing is in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou shalt not be able to stand up before thy enemies, until ye have removed the accursed from among you.

¹³ And Gid’on said unto him, Pardon, my lord, if the Lord be indeed with us, why then hath all this befallen us? and where are all his wonders of which our fathers have told us, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt! But now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hand of Midian.

¹⁵ And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me as king over you, then come seek protection in my shadow; and if not, then let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of the Lebanon.

¹⁸ And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once; for he hath told me all his heart. Then came the lords of the Philistines up unto her, and brought the money in their hand. ¹⁹ And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called a man, and caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to subdue him, and his strength departed from him. ²⁰ And she said, The Philistines are upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and thought, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself free. But he knew not that the Lord had departed from him. ²¹ And the Philistines seized him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gazzah, and bound him with fetters of copper; and he had to grind in the prison-house.

³ But his sons walked not in his ways, and they inclined after their own advantage, and took bribes, and perverted justice.

³ Behold, here am I; testify against me in the presence of the Lord, and in the presence of his anointed: Whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or from whose hand have I received any ransom so that I withdrew my eyes from him? and I will restore it you.

¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou round, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned round, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day eighty and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. ¹⁹ And Nob, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and lambs, with the edge of the sword.

²¹ Now David had said, Yea, for naught only have I guarded all that belongeth to this fellow in the wilderness, so that not the least was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he hath requited me evil instead of good. ²² So may God do unto the enemies of David, and do so yet farther, if I leave of all that pertaineth to him by the morning light, as much as a dog.

³⁶ And Abigayil came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, and he was exceedingly drunken; wherefore she told him not a word, either little or great, until the morning-light.

³⁸ And it came to pass in about ten days thereafter, that the Lord struck Nabal, and he died.

¹⁶ And he brought him down; and behold, they were scattered over the face of all the country, eating and drinking, and dancing for joy, because of all the great spoil which they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.

¹² But she said to him, No, my brother, do not violate me; for such a deed ought not to be done in Israel; do not this scandalous act!

²² And Abshalom spoke not with Amnon either bad or good; for Abshalom hated Amnon, because he had violated Thamar his sister.

²⁸ Now Abshalom commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye, I pray you, when Annon’s heart is merry with wine, and I say unto you, Smite Amnon: then kill him, fear not; behold, it is I who command it you; be firm and show yourselves men of valor.

³² But Yonadab the son of Shim’ah, David’s brother, commenced and said, Let not my Lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king’s sons; since Amnon alone is dead; for by the command of Abshalom was this ordained from the day that he violated Thamar his sister.

¹⁰ And the king said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruyah? so let him curse; because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so?

^{19 (19:20)} And he said unto the king, Let not my Lord impute it unto me as iniquity, neither do thou remember that in which thy servant acted perversely on the day that my Lord the king went forth out of Jerusalem, so that the king should lay it to his heart.

^{43 (19:44)} And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, Ten parts have we in the king, and also in David have we more right than ye: why then did ye esteem us lightly? and was not our word the very first to bring back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

¹⁶ Then called a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear: say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near as far as hither, that I may speak with thee. ¹⁷ And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he said, I am. Then said she unto him, Hear the words of thy hand-maid. And he said, I do hear. ¹⁸ Then said she, thus, They ought surely first to have spoken, saying, “Let them ask at least in Abel:” and so would they have come to an end. ¹⁹ I am one of the peaceful and faithful cities in Israel; thou seekest to overthrow a city and a metropolis in Israel: why wilt thou destroy the inheritance of the Lord? ²⁰ And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should destroy or ruin. ²¹ The matter is not so; but a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba’ the son of Bichri is his name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David: give him up alone, and I will withdraw from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be cast down to thee over the wall. ²² And the woman came unto all the people with her wisdom; and they cut off the head of Sheba’ the son of Bichri, and cast it down to Joab: and he blew the cornet, and they scattered themselves from the city, every man to his tents. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

⁴⁴ The king said moreover to Shim’i, Thou well knowest all the wickedness of which thy heart is conscious, that thou hast done to David my father: and the Lord bringeth back thy wickedness upon thy own head;

⁶ And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great kindness, just as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, and thou hast given him a son who sitteth on his throne, as it is this day. ⁷ And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king in the place of David my father: and I am but a young lad; I know not how to go out or come in. ⁸ And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot he numbered nor counted for multitude. ⁹ Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad; for who would otherwise be able to judge this thy great people?

¹¹ And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; and hast not asked for thyself riches, nor hast asked the life of thy enemies; but hast asked for thyself discernment to understand how to give judgment: ¹² Behold, I have done according to thy word; lo, I have given thee a wise and a discerning heart; so that like unto thee there was none before thee, nor after thee shall any one arise like unto thee.

⁴⁶ If they sin against thee, for there is no man that may not sin, and thou be angry with them, and give them up before the enemy, so that their captors carry them away captive unto the land of the enemy, be it far or near; ⁴⁷ And if they then take it to their heart in the land whither they have been carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of their captors, saying, We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly;

¹ But king Solomon loved many strange women, beside the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, ‘Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites.

¹ But king Solomon loved many strange women, beside the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, ‘Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites. ² From the nations concerning which the Lord had said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in among them, nor shall they come in among you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: unto these Solomon did cleave to love them.

² From the nations concerning which the Lord had said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in among them, nor shall they come in among you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: unto these Solomon did cleave to love them. ³ And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.

³ And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. ⁴ And it came to pass, at the time that Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not undivided with the Lord his God, like the heart of David his father. ⁵ And Solomon went after ‘Ashtoreth the divinity of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the ‘Ammonites. ⁶ And Solomon did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, like David his father. ⁷ Then did Solomon build a high-place for Kemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of ‘Ammon. ⁸ And so did he for all his strange wives, who burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

¹⁷ And it came to pass after these events, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness became very severe, until that at length there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸ And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O man of God? thou art come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son!

¹⁶ And they went out at midday; while Ben-hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings that helped him.

¹³ And there came in two men, worthless fellows, and seated themselves opposite to him; and these worthless men testified against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king. Then they led him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died.

³⁶ If they sin against thee—for there is no man that may not sin,—and thou be angry with them, and give them up before the enemy, so that their captors carry them away captive unto a land far off or near;

²¹ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the court of the house of the Lord. ²² And king Joash did not remember the kindness which Yehoyada’ his father had shown to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord will see this, and require my blood.

¹² And when he was in distress, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. ¹³ And he prayed unto him, and he permitted himself to be entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem, unto his kingdom. Then did Menasseh feel conscious that the Lord is indeed the true God.

² Then said the king unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing but an illness of heart. Then was I very greatly afraid. ³ And I said unto the king, May the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ sepulchres, lieth ruined, and her gates are consumed by fire? ⁴ Then said the king unto me, For what then dost thou make request? Then did I pray to the God of heaven. ⁵ And I said unto the king, If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant might be pleasing in thy presence, I desire that thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers’ sepulchres, that I may build it.

⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordecai bent not the knee, nor prostrated himself to him, Haman became full of fury. ⁶ But it appeared too contemptible in his eyes to lay his hand on Mordecai alone: for they had told him of the people of Mordecai: therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout all the kingdom of Achashverosh, the people of Mordecai.

⁴ And his sons used to go and prepare a feast in the house of every one on his day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. ⁵ And it happened, when the days of the feast were gone round, that Job sent and sanctified them, and he then rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt-offerings according to the number of all of them; for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and have renounced God in their heart. In this manner used Job to do all the time.

¹⁰ Behold, thou hast indeed placed a fence about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath, on every side: the work of his hands hast thou blessed, and his cattle are far spread out in the land.

¹⁷ There where the wicked cease from troubling; and where the exhausted weary are at rest;

¹² Behold, were he to snatch aught away, who could hold him back? who would say unto him, What dost thou?

²² One thing is certain, therefore have I said it, The innocent and the wicked he bringeth to their end. ²³ If a scourge should slay suddenly, he will mock at the trial of the guiltless.

¹ My soul is disgusted with my life; I will give free vent to my complaint over myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. ² I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; let me know for what cause thou contendest against me.

⁷ Canst thou find out the experience of God? or canst thou find the way unto the utmost limit of the Almighty? ⁸ It is as high as heaven; what canst thou effect? it is deeper than the nether world; what canst thou know?

¹⁰ If he pass by, and surrender one to suffering, and call together an assembly, who can hinder him?

¹² And the heartless who acquireth intelligence, and him who is like the colt of the wild ass who is transformed into a man.

¹⁴ Behold, he pulleth down, and there can be no rebuilding: he locketh the prison upon a man, and there can be no opening,

¹⁴ What is man, that he should be pure? and that he who is born of woman should be declared righteous? ¹⁵ Behold, in his holy ones he putteth no trust; and the heavens are not pure in his eyes: ¹⁶ How much more then the abominable and corrupt, the man who drinketh like water wrong-doing?

³² Even before his time will it be overfull, and his branches will not be green. ³³ He will shake off like the vine his unripe grapes, and cast off like the olive his blossoms.

⁷ Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, grow strong in power? ⁸ Their seed is firmly established in their presence with them, their offspring are before their eyes. ⁹ Their houses are at peace without any dread, and no rod of God cometh over them. ¹⁰ The bull of each one gendereth, and disappointeth not: the cow of each one calveth, and casteth not her young. ¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children skip about with joy. ¹² They sing to the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the pipe. ¹³ They wear out their days in happiness, and in a moment they go down to the nether world. ¹⁴ And yet they say unto God, “Depart from us; and the knowledge of thy ways we desire not. ¹⁵ What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit shall we have, if we entreat him urgently?”

¹⁶ Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river;

²¹ Do but become acquainted with him, and be at peace: thereby will happiness come unto thee. ²² Do but accept instruction from his mouth, and lay up his saying in thy heart. ²³ If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, so thou wilt but remove wrong-doing far away from thy tents. ²⁴ And throw down in the dust precious metals, and the gold of Ophir to the stones of the brooks: ²⁵ Then will the Almighty be thy precious metal, and brightly-shining silver unto thee.

¹² But wisdom—where shall she he found? and where is the place of understanding? ¹³ Man knoweth not her value: and she is not to be found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The deep saith, Not in me is she: and the sea saith, She is not with me. ¹⁵ No fine gold can be given in lieu of her, and silver cannot be weighed out as her price. ¹⁶ She cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx, or the sapphire. ¹⁷ She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her can vessels of refined gold be taken. ¹⁸ Coral and crystal will not be thought of; and the value of wisdom is above pearls. ¹⁹ She cannot be estimated after the topaz of Ethiopia, nor can she be valued with pure gold. ²⁰ But wisdom—whence cometh she? and where is the place of understanding? ²¹ Yea, she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and from the fowls of the heavens is she concealed. ²² Perdition and death say, With our ears have we heard a report of her. ²³ God alone understandeth her way, and he knoweth her place;

²⁸ And he said unto man, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to eschew evil is understanding.

²³ If there be now about him one single angel, as defender, one out of a thousand, to tell for man his uprightness:

²⁹ When he now granteth rest, who will condemn him! and when he hideth his face, who can behold him? whether it be against a nation, or against one man, it is the same:

¹⁴ Give ear unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider well the wonders of God.

^{3 (8:4)} When I behold thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast established:—

¹ To the chief musician upon Sheminith, a psalm of David. ^(12:2) Help, O Lord; for the pious have ceased to be; for the truthful have failed from among the children of men.

² The Lord looketh down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be one intelligent, one who seeketh for God. ³ They are all gone aside, they are altogether become corrupt: there is none that doth good, no, not even one.

¹² Who is that man that feareth the Lord? to him will he point out the way which he is to choose? ¹³ His soul shall abide in happiness: and his seed shall inherit the land. ¹⁴ The secret counsel of the Lord is for those that fear him, and his covenant—to make it known to them.

^{11 (30:12)} Thou hast changed my mourning into dancing for me; thou hast loosened my sack-cloth, and girded me with joy. ^{12 (30:13)} To the end that my glorious soul may sing praise to thee, and never be silent. O Lord my God, for ever will I give thanks unto thee.

^{6 (36:7)} Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; thy acts of justice like the great deep: man and beast dost thou ever help, O Lord.

^{6 (39:7)} As nothing but a shadowy image doth man walk about, yea, for vanity only do all make a noise: he heapeth up his gains, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

^{3 (40:4)} And he placed in my mouth a new song, a praise unto our God: many will see it, and fear; and they will trust in the Lord.

^{23 (55:24)} But thou, O God, thou wilt bring them down into the pit of destruction: let not the men of blood and deceit live out half their days; but I will indeed trust in thee.

¹ To the chief musician, Al-tashcheth, by David, a Michtham, when he fled from Saul, in the cave. ^(57:2) Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for in thee my soul seeketh protection, and under the shadow of thy wings will I seek protection, until the mischief be passed away.

^{9 (58:10)} Before your pots can feel the thorns, will he take them away with a whirlwind, both the green and the burning.

^{12 (69:13)} Those that sit in the gate talk against me; and about me make songs the drinkers of strong drink.

³ For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. ⁴ For there are no deadly fetters for them, but their strength is firm. ⁵ They share not in the trouble of mortals, and with men are they not afflicted. ⁶ Therefore is pride their neck-chain: violence envelopeth them as a garment. ⁷ Their eyes start out from fatness: they have exceeded their heart’s imaginings. ⁸ They scorn, and speak wickedly of oppression: loftily do they speak. ⁹ They set their mouth in the heavens, and their tongue walketh busily on the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore do his people turn away hither: and waters of a full cup are drained by them. ¹¹ And they say, How should God know? and is there knowledge in the Most High? ¹² Behold, these are the wicked; and yet prospering continually they increase in wealth. ¹³ Verily in vain have I thus cleansed my heart, and have washed in innocency my hands:

¹² Let us then know how to number our days, that we may obtain a heart endowed with wisdom.

¹² Happy is the man whom thou admonisheth, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law: ¹³ That thou mayest grant him repose from the days of evil, until the pot be dug for the wicked.

⁸ O Lord, our God, thou didst answer them: thou wast a forgiving God unto them, yet also an avenger for their wrong doings.

²⁹ And they provoked him to anger with their deeds: and there broke in among them the plague.

³⁹ Thus were they made unclean through their own doings, and went astray with their own deeds.

⁴³ Whoever is wise, let him observe these things, and let all understand the kindness of the Lord.

¹² They encompassed me about like bees; they blazed up like the fire of thorns; but in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I was in error; but now I observe thy saying.

⁷¹ It is well for me that I have been afflicted, in order that I might learn thy statutes.

⁵ Those that sow in tears shall reap with joyful song. ⁶ He goeth forth indeed and weepeth, that beareth the seed for sowing; but he will surely come with joyful song when he beareth home his sheaves.

³ If thou, Lord, shouldst treasure up iniquities, O Lord, who would be able to stand?

² It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, yea, Aaron’s beard, which runneth down upon the upper border of his garments;

⁶ Too wonderful is such knowledge for me: it is too exalted, I cannot attain unto it.

⁵ If the righteous strike me, it is a kindness; and if he reprove me, it is as oil poured on the head, my head shall not refuse it; for yet my prayer also is offered in their sufferings.

² And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for no living man can be regarded righteous before thee.

¹⁹ The desire of those who fear him will he fulfill, and their cry will he hear, and save them. ²⁰ The Lord preserveth all those who love him; but all the wicked will he destroy.

⁷ He treasureth up sound wisdom for the righteous, as a shield to those that walk in integrity:

¹¹ Discretion will watch over thee, understanding will keep thee;

¹⁶ To deliver thee from the adulteress, from the alien woman that useth flattering speeches;

¹⁸ For she sinketh unto death—her house, and unto the departed lead her tracks. ¹⁹ All that come unto her return not again, and they will not reach the paths of life.

¹⁸ A tree of life is she to those that lay hold on her: and every one that firmly graspeth her will be made happy.

²⁵ Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee. ²⁶ Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right. ²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

³ For as of fine honey drop the lips of an adulterous woman, and smoother than oil is her palate; ⁴ But her end is bitter as wormwood, it is sharp as a two-edged sword. ⁵ Her feet go down to death, her steps take firm hold on the nether world:

²¹ She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him. ²² He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool: ²³ Till an arrow cleaveth through his liver; as a bird hasteneth into the snare, and knoweth not that it is done to take his life. ²⁴ And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth. ²⁵ Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, do not go astray on her paths. ²⁶ For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her. ²⁷ The ways to the nether world is her house leading down to the chambers of death.

¹⁰ Accept my correction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than pearls; and all the things that men wish for are not equal to her.

²⁰ On the road of righteousness do I walk firmly, in the midst the paths of justice:

³⁵ For he who findeth me findeth life, and he obtaineth favor from the Lord.

⁸ Do not correct a scorner, lest he hate thee: reprove a wise man, and he will love thee.

¹¹ For through me shall thy days be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased unto thee.

¹⁸ But he knoweth not that the departed are there; that in the depths of the nether world are her guests.

²⁷ The fear of the Lord increaseth man’s days; but the years of the wicked will be shortened.

⁴ Wealth cannot profit on the day of wrath; but righteousness deliver from death.

¹⁰ Only through presumptuous conduct doth man produce contention; but with the well-advised is wisdom.

¹³ Whoso despiseth the word shall fall in debt to it; but he that feareth the commandment will be rewarded.

¹⁸ Poverty and disgrace will overtake him that rejecteth correction; but he that observeth admonition will be honored.

¹⁷ He that is soon angry committeth folly; and a man of wicked devices is hated.

²⁰ Even to his own neighbor is the poor man hateful; but the friends of the rich are many.

²⁹ He that is slow to anger is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit holdeth up to view his folly.

¹⁸ A man of fury stirreth up strife; but he that is slow to anger assuageth contention.

³⁰ What is pleasant to the light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: a good report giveth marrow to the bones. ³¹ The ear that heareth the admonition of life will ever abide in the midst of the wise. ³² He that rejecteth correction despiseth his own soul; but he that heareth admonition acquireth intelligence.

³² One that is slow to anger is better than a hero; and he that ruleth his spirit, than the conqueror of a city.

⁸ As a precious stone appeareth a bribe in the eyes of him that obtaineth it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

¹⁰ A reproof penetrateth more deeply into a wise man, than a hundred stripes into a fool.

¹² A man may meet a she-bear robbed of her whelps, but not a fool in his folly.

²³ A wicked man taketh a bribe out of the bosom, to pervert the paths of justice.

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong tower, whereunto the righteous runneth, and is placed in safety. ¹¹ The rich man’s wealth is his strong town, and as a towering wall in his own conceit.

⁹ Who can say, I have made my heart pure, I am cleansed from my sin.

²² A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength in which they trusted.

¹ A good name is preferable to abundant riches, and good grace, to silver and to gold.

¹⁴ A deep pit is the mouth of adulterous women: he that hath obtained the indignation of the Lord will fall thereinto.

⁴ Fatigue thyself not to become rich; because thou hast understanding, forbear.

²⁷ For a harlot is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow well. ²⁸ She also lieth in wait like a robber, and she increaseth the treacherous among men.

⁵ A wise man is always in power; and a man of knowledge fortifieth his strength.

¹⁶ Hast thou found honey: eat so much as is sufficient for thee: lest thou consume too much of it, and have to vomit it forth.

¹¹ As a dog returneth to his vomit, so doth a fool repeat to act in his folly.

²³ Like silver dross laid over an earthen vessel, so are burning lips with a bad heart. ²⁴ With his lips dissembleth he that hateth, and within himself layeth he up deceit: ²⁵ Though he make his voice sound ever so graciously, believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart. ²⁶ If one’s hatred be covered by deception, then shall be laid bare his wickedness before a whole assembly.

⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but deceptive are the kisses of an enemy.

⁹ Oil and perfume cause the heart to rejoice, and so do the sweet words of a friend more than one’s own counsel.

²⁵ He that hath an insatiable desire stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the Lord will be abundantly gratified.

⁹ If a wise man contend with a foolish man, whether he be angry or whether he laugh, he will have no rest.

¹⁰ Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.

¹ The words of Koheleth, the son of David, the king in Jerusalem. ² Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth, vanity of vanities: all is vanity.

¹³ And I directed my heart to inquire and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this is an evil employment which God hath given to the sons of man to busy themselves therewith. ¹⁴ I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun: and, behold, all is vanity and a torture of the spirit. ¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is defective cannot be numbered. ¹⁶ I spoke with my own heart, saying, Lo, I have truly obtained greater and more wisdom than all those who have been before me over Jerusalem: yea, my heart had seen much wisdom and knowledge. ¹⁷ And I directed my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly; but I have perceived that this also is a torture of the spirit.

¹ Come, then, I said in my heart, I will have a taste of joy, and thou shalt see what is good; but, behold, this also was vanity. ² Of laughter I said, It maketh one mad: and of joy, What doth this do?

² Of laughter I said, It maketh one mad: and of joy, What doth this do? ³ I resolved in my heart to indulge my body with wine, while my heart guideth itself with wisdom; and to lay fast hold on folly, till I might see what it is that is good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heavens during the number of the days of their life.

¹² And then I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? only that which others have done already. ¹³ But I saw indeed that wisdom hath the advantage over folly, as great as the advantage of light over darkness.

¹⁵ Then said I in my heart, The same that befalleth the fool will also befall even me: and why have I then been wiser? Then spoke I in my heart, that this is also vanity.

²⁰ Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to give up thinking of all the toil wherewith I had toiled under the sun.

²³ For all his days are full of pains, and vexation is mingled with his employment: yea, even in the night his heart taketh not rest. Also this is vanity.

²⁶ For to a man who is good in his presence God giveth wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth employment, to gather up and to bring together, that he may give it to him that is good before God. Also this is vanity and a torture of the spirit.

⁴ A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

¹¹ Every thing hath he made beautiful in its proper time: he hath also placed the eternity in their heart, without a man’s being able to find out the work that God hath made from the beginning to the end.

¹⁴ I know that whatsoever God doth, that will be for ever; to it nothing can be added, and from it there is nothing to be diminished: and God hath so made it, that men should be afraid of him.

¹⁶ And moreover I have seen under the sun, that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness; and that in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness.

¹⁶ And moreover I have seen under the sun, that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness; and that in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. ¹⁷ I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time for every pursuit; and on account of every deed there will he judge.

²² And so did I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who can bring him to look with pleasure on what will be after him?

¹ And I turned about, and beheld all the oppressed that are made so under the sun: and, behold, there are the tears of the oppressed, and they have no comforter; and from the hand of their oppressors they suffer violence; and they have no comforter. ² Thereupon praised I the dead that are already dead, more than the living who are still alive;

^{16 (5:15)} And also this is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so must he go: and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the wind? ^{17 (5:16)} All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.

¹² For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, the number of the days of his vain life, that he should spend them as a shadow? for who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

²³ All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me. ²⁴ Far is what formerly was so, and what was deep remaineth deep: who can find it out?

²⁷ Behold, this have I found, saith Koheleth, adding one to the other, to find experience,

¹² But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and God withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of him;

¹² But let a sinner do evil a hundred times, and God withhold long his punishment from him; still do I truly know for certain that it will be well with those that fear God, because they are afraid of him; ¹³ And that it will not be well with the wicked, and that he will not endure many days, like the shadow; because he is not afraid of God. ¹⁴ There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men, unto whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, to whom it happeneth in accordance with the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

¹ For all this did I reflect over in my heart and to explain all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their services, are in the hand of God: that man knoweth neither love nor hatred; it is all ordained before them;

¹ For all this did I reflect over in my heart and to explain all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their services, are in the hand of God: that man knoweth neither love nor hatred; it is all ordained before them; ² Every thing as it is to happen to all; there is but one occurrence for the righteous, and for the wicked; for the good and for the clean, and for the unclean; and for him that sacrificeth, and for him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

² Every thing as it is to happen to all; there is but one occurrence for the righteous, and for the wicked; for the good and for the clean, and for the unclean; and for him that sacrificeth, and for him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. ³ This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one occurrence for all, and that also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and that madness is in their heart while they live, and after this they go to the dead.

⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which God hath given thee under the sun, yea, all the days of thy vanity; for this is thy portion in this life, and in thy toil with which thou toilest under the sun.

¹³ Also in this manner have I seen wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: ¹⁴ There was a little city, and the men therein were few; and there came against it a great king, who enclosed it, and built around it great works of siege; ¹⁵ But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom; yet no man had thought of that same poor man. ¹⁶ Then said I, Wisdom is better than might: although the poor man’s wisdom is held in contempt, and his words are not heard. ¹⁷ The words of wise men heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner causes much good to be lost.

¹ Dead flies cause the precious oil of the apothecary to become stinking and foaming; so doth a little folly him that is valued for wisdom and honor.

¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the last that cometh out of his mouth is evil-bringing madness.

⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand rest; for thou knowest not which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both of them will be alike good. ⁷ Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun;

⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.—

⁸ Vanity of vanities, saith Koheleth: all is vanity.— ⁹ And in addition to this that Koheleth was wise, he continually also taught the people knowledge, and he probed, and searched out, and composed many proverbs. ¹⁰ Koheleth sought to find out acceptable words, and that which would be written down uprightly, even words of truth.

¹² But more than all these, my son, take warning for thyself: the making of many books would have no end; and much preaching is a weariness of the flesh. ¹³ The end of the matter is, let us hear the whole: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

³ To the smell are thy fragrant oils pleasant, like precious oil poured forth is thy name famous afar: therefore do maidens love thee.

¹⁰ How beautiful are thy caresses, O my sister, my bride! how much more pleasant are thy caresses than wine! and the smell of thy fragrant oils more than all spices.

²³ Thy princes are rebels, and companions of thieves; every one loveth brides, and runneth after rewards; to the fatherless they will not do justice, and the cause of the widow doth not come unto them.

¹¹ Woe unto those that rise up early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink; that continue until late in the twilight, till wine inflame them! ¹² And there are harp and psaltery, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking-feasts; but the deeds of the Lord they regard not, and the works of his hands they behold not.

¹² And there are harp and psaltery, tambourine and flute, and wine at their drinking-feasts; but the deeds of the Lord they regard not, and the works of his hands they behold not.

²⁴ Therefore thus hath said the Lord the Eternal of hosts, Be not afraid, O my people that dwellest in Zion, of Asshur, who will smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. ²⁵ For yet but a very little while more, and the indignation shall cease, and my anger shall be for their destruction.

²⁸ He cometh to ‘Ayath, he passeth on to Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage; ²⁹ They go through the pass; they take up their lodging at Geba’; Ramah trembleth; Gib’ah of Saul fleeth. ³⁰ Let thy voice resound, O daughter of Gallim; listen Layshah; O poor ‘Anathoth! ³¹ Madmenah is in motion; the inhabitants of Gebim are assembled to flee. ³² As yet today will he remain at Nob: then will he swing his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem. ³³ Behold, the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, will lop off the fruitful bough with terrific might: and those of towering growth shall be hewn down, and the high shall be laid low. ³⁴ And he will cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and the Lebanon shall fall by means of a mighty one.

²⁷ For the Lord of hosts hath resolved, and who shall frustrate it? and it is his hand which is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

⁴ My heart wandereth astray, dread affrighteth me: the evening of my pleasure hath he turned unto me into terror.

¹² And the Lord Eternal of hosts called on that day for weeping, and for mourning, and for baldness, and for girding with sackcloth. ¹³ And behold there are gladness and joy, slaying of oxen, and killing of sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we must die.” ¹⁴ And it was revealed in my ears by the Lord of hosts: Surely this iniquity shall not be forgiven unto you until ye die, said the Lord the Eternal of hosts.

⁹ In my soul have I longed for thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek for thee; for when thy judgments are sent on the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

¹¹ Lord, thy hand was raised high, but they would not see: oh that they might see, and be ashamed, thy zeal for the people; yea, the fire which shall devour them—thy enemies.

²¹ That cause mankind to sin by their word; and lay a snare for him that reproveth them in the gate; and pervert through fraud the cause of the just.

² That travel to go down into Egypt, and have not asked my will; to strengthen themselves through the strength of Pharaoh, and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!

² And every one shall be as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivulets of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a large rock in a languishing land.

⁶ And the stability of thy times and the strength of thy happiness shall be wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is his treasure.

¹⁵ He that walketh in righteousness, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands against taking hold of bribes, that stoppeth his ears against hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes against looking on evil;

²⁵ Therefore hath he poured out over him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it blazed all round about him, yet he regarded it not; and it burnt on him, yet he laid it not to heart.

¹³ Yea, from the first day am I he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: if I will work, is there one that can hinder it?

¹⁰ Declaring from the beginning the end, and from the earliest days the things that have not yet been done, saying, My counsel shall stand firm, and all my pleasure will I do: ¹¹ Calling from the east the eagle, from a far-off country the man of my counsel; yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also execute it.

⁷ And thou saidst, For ever shall I be mistress; until that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, thou didst not call to mind the result thereof.

¹ Thus hath said the Lord, Where is your mother’s bill of divorcement, wherewith I have sent her away? or who of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? behold, for your iniquities were ye sold, and for your transgressions was your mother sent away.

³ He was despised and shunned by men; a man of pains, and acquainted with disease; and as one who hid his face from us was he despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴ But only our diseases did he bear himself, and our pains he carried: while we indeed esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁶ We all like sheep went astray; every one to his own way did we turn; and the Lord let befall him the guilt of us all.

⁸ For not my thoughts are your thoughts, and not your ways are my ways, saith the Lord. ⁹ For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.

⁵ I will indeed give unto them in my house and within my walls a place and a name, better than sons and daughters: an everlasting name will I give them, that shall not be cut off.

¹ The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and pious men are taken away, without one considering that before the evil the righteous is taken away. ² He shall come to his fathers in peace: they shall repose in their resting-place, every one that walketh in his uprightness.

^{6 (64:5)} And we are become like an unclean man all of us, and like a soiled garment, all our righteousness; and we wither like a leaf all of us; and our iniquities, like the wind, will bear us away.

¹³ Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be made ashamed; ¹⁴ Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry out from pain of heart, and from a broken spirit shall ye howl; ¹⁵ And ye shall leave behind your name for an oath unto my elect ones, when the Lord Eternal will slay thee; but his servants will he call by another name.

²⁰ There shall no more come thence an infant of few days, nor an old man that shall not have the full length of his days; for as a lad shall one die a hundred years old; and as a sinner shall be accursed he who dieth at a hundred years old.

¹² Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and let your hair stand at an end, be ye greatly terrified, saith the Lord. ¹³ For two evils have my people committed: me have they forsaken, the source of living waters, to hew out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that cannot hold water.

³³ Why ornamentest thou thy way to seek for love? truly even the worst hast thou used thyself as thy ways. ³⁴ Also on thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent needy ones: not while breaking in thy house didst thou find them; but for all these things.

²² “Because my people is foolish, me have they not known; sottish children are they, and they have not any understanding: wise are they to do evil, but how to do good they do not know.”

¹ Too righteous art thou, O Lord, that I could plead with thee; yet must I speak of the principles of justice with thee: Wherefore is the way of the wicked happy? do all those prosper that deal treacherously? ² Thou hast planted them; they have also taken root; they grow; they also bring forth fruit: thou art near, in their mouth, and far from their mind.

²⁰ The anger of the Lord will not return, until he have executed, and until he have fulfilled the purposes of his heart: in the end of days shall ye understand this fully.

^{8 (31:7)} Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and I will gather them from the farthest ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she that travaileth with child together: a great assembly shall they return hither. ^{9 (31:8)} With weeping shall they come, and with supplications will I bring them in: I will lead them by brooks of water in a straight way, whereon they shall not stumble; for I am become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.

^{15 (31:14)} Thus hath said the Lord, A voice is heard in Ramah, groaning, weeping, and bitter lamentation; Rachel is weeping for her children: she refuseth to be comforted for her children because they are not here. ^{16 (31:15)} Thus hath said the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thy eyes from tears; for there is a reward for thy work, saith the Lord, and they shall return from the land of the enemy. ^{17 (31:16)} And there is hope for thee in thy future, saith the Lord, and thy children shall return to their own borders. ^{18 (31:17)} I have indeed heard Ephraim bemoaning himself, “Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untamed calf; cause me to return, and I will return; for thou art the Lord my God. ^{19 (31:18)} Surely after my returning, I repent; and after I am made conscious by punishment, I smite upon my thigh: I am ashamed, yea, I am confounded, because I bear the disgrace of my youth.” ^{20 (31:19)} Is not Ephraim a dear son unto me? or a child that I dandle? for whenever I speak of him, I do earnestly remember him again: therefore are my inward parts moved for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.

⁴⁰ And I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good on my part; and my fear will I place in their heart, so that they may not depart from me.

¹⁷ For to a surety we will do all the word that is gone forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: when we had plenty of food, and fared well, and saw no evil. ¹⁸ But since the time we have left off to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, have we had a lack of every thing; and we have come to our end through the sword and through the famine. ¹⁹ And when we burnt incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings unto her,—was this without the consent of our husbands, that we did make cakes for her to make her image, and pour out drink-offerings unto her?

⁴ In those days, and at that time, saith the Lord, shall the children of Israel come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping shall they go, and the Lord their God shall they seek. ⁵ After Zion shall they ask, with their faces on the way thitherward, saying, Come: and they will join themselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.

³⁹ When they are heated will I prepare their drinking-feasts, and I will make them drunken, in order that they may be joyful, and then sleep a perpetual sleep, and not awake again, saith the Lord.

⁵⁷ And I will make drunken her princes, and her wise men, her governors, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not awake again, saith the King, The Lord of hosts is his name.

¹⁷ Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and they constantly repeat to provoke me to anger; and, lo, they stretch forth the branch to their nose.

²⁰ And thou didst take thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hadst born unto me, and didst slaughter these unto them to be devoured; but were thy acts of lewdness not yet enough?

⁶ Behold, the princes of Israel were each ready with his arm within thee, in order to shed blood. ⁷ Father and mother they esteemed lightly within thee, toward the stranger they acted with extortion in the midst of thee, the fatherless and the widow they oppressed within thee. ⁸ My holy things thou didst despise, and my sabbaths thou didst profane. ⁹ Tale-bearers also were within thee, in order to shed blood; and upon the mountains did they eat within thee; incest did they commit in the midst of thee. ¹⁰ Their father’s nakedness they uncovered within thee; her that was unclean in her separation did they violate within thee. ¹¹ And one with his neighbor’s wife did commit abomination; and another did defile his daughter-in-law with incest; and another did violate his sister, the daughter of his father, within thee. ¹² Bribes they took within thee, in order to shed blood; interest and increase didst thou take, and thou didst acquire gain off thy neighbors by extortion: and me thou didst forget, saith the Lord Eternal. ¹³ And behold, I have struck my hands together at thy wrongful gain which thou hast acquired, and at thy blood-guilt which hath been in the midst of thee.

^{35 (4:32)} And by whom all the inhabitants of the earth are regarded as nought; and who according to his pleasure doth with the host of heaven and the inhabitants of the earth; while there is none that can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

¹ King Belshazzar prepared a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and before these thousand did he drink wine. ² Belshazzar ordered, through the counsel of the wine, to bring in the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken away out of the temple which was in Jerusalem: that the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therefrom. ³ Then they brought in the golden vessels that were taken away out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of copper, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

³⁰ In that very night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

³ And I directed my face unto the Lord God, to ask by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and in sackcloth, and ashes. ⁴ And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and terrible God, who keepeth the covenant and kindness to those that love him, and to those that keep his commandments: ⁵ We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, and have departed from thy commandments and from thy ordinances; ⁶ Nor have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. ⁷ Thine, O Lord, is the righteousness, but unto us belongeth the shame of face, as it is this day,—to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, those that are near, and those that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass which they have trespassed against thee. ⁸ O Lord, to us belongeth the shame of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers; because we have sinned against thee. ⁹ To the Lord our God belong mercies and pardonings; for we have rebelled against him; ¹⁰ And we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us through means of his servants the prophets. ¹¹ Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, and have departed so as not to obey thy voice: therefore was poured out over us the curse, with the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God; because we had sinned against him. ¹² And he hath accomplished his words, which he had spoken concerning us, and concerning our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil, which was never done under the whole heaven as it hath been done in Jerusalem. ¹³ As it is written in the law of Moses; all this evil came over us: yet offered we not any entreaty before the Lord our God, to return from our iniquities, and to become intelligent in thy truth. ¹⁴ Therefore did the Lord watch over the evil, and he brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous because of all his deeds which he hath done; but we have not obeyed his voice. ¹⁵ And now, O Lord our God, who hast brought forth thy people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and hast made thyself a great name, as it is this day: we have sinned, we have done wickedly. ¹⁶ O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thy anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain; because through our sins, and through the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all who are round about us. ¹⁷ And now listen, O our God, to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary which is desolate, for the sake of the Lord. ¹⁸ Incline, O my God, thy ear, and hear; open thy eyes, and look on our desolations, and the city whereupon thy name is called: for not relying on our acts of righteousness do we present humbly our supplications before thee, but relying on thy great mercies. ¹⁹ O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do it; delay it not; for thy own sake, O my God; for thy name is called upon thy city and upon thy people.

² In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. ³ Costly food did I not eat, and flesh and wine came not in my mouth, nor did I at all anoint myself, till three whole weeks were elapsed.

¹⁹ And he said, Fear not, O man greatly beloved: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he spoke with me, I felt myself strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.

^{6 (2:8)} Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will close it up with a fence, that she shall not find her paths. ^{7 (2:9)} And she will make pursuit after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she will seek them, but shall not find them: then will she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for it was better with me then than now.

⁵ On the day of our king’s entering on his rule the princes are made sick with the fumes of wine: the king joineth his hand with scorners.

³ Ye that deem far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near; ⁴ That lie upon beds of ivory, and are stretched out upon their couches, and eat lambs out of the flock, and calves out of the midst of the stall; ⁵ That chant to the sound of the psaltery, and like David’s do they imagine their instrument of music to be; ⁶ That drink out of wine-bowls, and anoint themselves with the costliest of ointments; but who feel no pain for the wound of Joseph.

¹⁰ And I will change your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentations; and I will bring upon all loins sackcloth, and upon every head baldness; and I will cause the land to mourn as one doth for an only son, and its end to be as a day of bitter complaint.

⁹ And God said unto Jonah, Art thou very wroth for the gourd? And he said, I am very wroth, even unto death.

⁹ The voice of the Lord calleth unto the city,—and the man of wisdom shall see thy name:—hear ye the rod of punishment, and who hath ordained it.

¹⁰ For they, like thorns interwoven, and as men made drunken in their drinking bout, shall be entirely consumed as dry stubble.

⁵ Now therefore, thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Direct your heart unto your ways.

⁵ Now therefore, thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Direct your heart unto your ways. ⁶ Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but it doth not satisfy hunger; ye drink, but it doth not appease thirst; ye clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he that earneth something earneth it for a bag with holes. ⁷ Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Direct your heart to your ways.

¹⁰ But I will pour out over the house of David, and over the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they will look up toward me for every one whom they have thrust through, and they will lament for him, as one lamenteth for an only son, and weep bitterly for him, as one weepeth bitterly for the first-born. ¹¹ On that day will the lamentation be great in Jerusalem, like the lamentation at Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. ¹² And the land will mourn, every family apart by itself: the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; ¹³ The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shim’i apart, and their wives apart; ¹⁴ All the families that remain, every family apart by itself, and their wives apart.

² If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts: I will even send out against you a curse, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I will curse the same, because ye do not lay it to heart.

^{2 (3:20)} But there shall rise unto you that fear my name the sun of righteousness with healing in his wings: and ye will go forth, and grow fat as calves of the stall.