n There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not warned from their filrniness.

i j There is a generation, O how lofty nre their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15 t[f The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, jea, four things fay not, It is enough -.

16 The grave; and the barren womb; the eartii that is not filled with water; and the fire, that faith not, It is enough.

17 f( The eye that mocketh at his father, and defpiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley mall pick it out, and the young eagles (hall eat it.

18 ^[ There be three things nuhich are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a (hip in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

loSuch/j the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and faith, I have done no wickedneis.

11 % For three things the earth is disquieted,and for fourwA/VÆit cannot bear:

ai For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

23 For an odious tuoman when (he is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

14 fl There be four things ivhich are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wife:

i^Theantsarrapeople not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rock;

17 The locusts have no king, yet go fliey forth all of them by bands;

28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces.

29 )jf There be three things which go well, yea, four ave comely in going:

30 A lion ivhich is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

31 fl If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought tvil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife,

CHAP. XXXI.

1 Lemuel's lesson of chastity and temperance. 6 The afflifted are to be comforted and defended. 10 The praise arid pro. perties of a good wife.

THE words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

2 What, my ion? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?'

3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which deitroyeth kings.

4 // is not for kings, Q Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

5 Lett they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted.

6 fl Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto thole that be of heavy hearts.

7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

I o fl Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

II The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he (hall have no need of (boil.

11 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She sceketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants' (hips; She bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet ni^ht, and giveth meat to her houstiold, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands (lie planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18 She perce'rveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the diltaff.

10 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, (he reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

11 She is not afraid of the snow for her houstiold: for all her houstiold are clothed with scarlet.

12 She maketh herself coverings of tnpestry; her clothing /'/ silk and purple. Vanity es pleasure.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when lie sitteth among the elders of the land.

24 She niaketh sine linen, and selleth it; and delivercth girdles unto the merchant.

25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and Ihe /hall rejoice in timetocome.

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom;

and in her tongue it the law of kindness.

27 She looketh well to the ways of

her houmold, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

2 8Her children arise up,andcall herblessed; herhu(bandsl//i>,andhepraisetMier.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excelled them all.

:;o Favour // deceitful, and beauty it vain: but a woman that feareth the Lo R D , Ihe (hall be praised.

31 Giveher of the fruit ofher hands ;:md let her own works praise her in the gates.

ECCLE SIASTES;

CHAP. I. 1 ThePreacherstie-weth that all human courses are 'vain; 4 because tlie creatures are restless in their courses; 9 they bring forth nothing netv, and all old things are forgotten: 12 and because he hath sound it so in the studies of'wisdom.

THE words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, faith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3 What prosit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the fun?

4 *\ One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5 The fun also ariscth, and the fun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north ; it whirl eth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the lea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8 All things are full of labour; man cannot litter :'/: the eye is not satisfied with feeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which mail be done: and there is no new thing under the fun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

j 1 There is no remembrance of former things; neither lhall there be any remembrance of things that are to come, with those that (hall come after.

12 *J I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this fore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

or, The PREACHER.

14 I have seen all the works that art done under the fun; and, behold, all it vanity and vexation of spirit.

15 That •which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16 I communed with mine own heart, faying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wildom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem : yea, my heart had great experience of wildom and knowledge.

17AndIgavemyheart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. 18 For in much wisdom is much pries: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

CHAP. II. 1 The •vanity of human courses in the looris of pleasure. 12 Though the ivise be better than the fool, yet both have one event. 18 The •vanity os human labour in lee-ving it they knoiv not to ivliont.

ISaid in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this allor/vanity.

2 I said of laughter, It it mad : and of mirth, What deeth it?

3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and tolay hold on folly, till I might see what •was that good for the sons of men, which they (hould do under the heaven all the days of their life.

4 I made me great works; I buililed me houses; I planted me vineyards:

5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the-wood that bringeth forth trees:

7 I got me servants and maidens, anfl had servants born in my house; also I had great posTesfions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the pectiliar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers, and women sir>gers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musicial instruments, and that of all forts.

9 So I was great, and increased more thin all that -were before me in Jerusalem : also my wisdom remained with me.

10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I keot not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was ray portion of all my labour.

ii Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all <voas vanity and vexation of spirit, andf A«r« ixiaswo profit under the su n.

12 fl And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what cat the man do that coineth after the king? even that which hath been already done.

13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

1+ The wife man's eyes are in his held; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived al(o that one event happeneth to them all.

Jj Then said I in my heart, As it hippeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wife > Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

16 For there is no remembrance of the wife more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

1? Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the fun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and venation of spirit.

18 % Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

19 And who knoweth whether he (hall beawise/n/jaor a fool ? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have (hewed myself wise under the sun.This//also vanity.

20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

J1 For there is a man whose labour is m wisdom, and in knowledge, and in etruity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein sliall heleaveit_/brhis portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

ti For what bath man ofall his labour,

iii- A time for all things.

and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the fun?

23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rcit in the night. This is also vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he mould eat and drink, and that he mould make his foul enioy good in his labour. This also I s.iw, that it tuas from the hand of God.

25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more thin I?

26 For GVgiveth to a man that /'.tgood in his light wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the (inner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him th,;l is good before God. This alio is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Chap. in.

I By the necessary change of times -vanity is increased, n GoiVsivirks iirerxcrlknt.

1 ft But as fir man, God fliail j udge his works hereafter, and here hejhallbe like a beast.

TO every thing there is a (eason, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embxace, and a time to refrain from embus clpg;

_ 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to few; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 ^ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no £ood in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enioy the good of all his labour, it Ij the gift of God.

1+1 know that whatsoevsrGod doeth, it shalt be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now j and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

16 ^J And moreover I saw under the fun the place of judgement, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose, and for every work.

18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate os the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might lee that they themselves are beasts.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth bealts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

zo All go unto one place; all are of die dust, and all turn to dust again.

11 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beaft that goeth downward to the earth?

12 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man mould rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion •. for who (hall bring him to fee what shall be after him >

CHAP. IV. 1 Vanity is increased upon men by oppression, 4 by envy, 5 by idleness, 7 by covetousness, 9 by solitariness, 13 by wUfulness. SO 1 returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the fun •. and behold the tears of fuck as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there <was power; but they had no comforter. 1 Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

3 Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the fun.

4fl Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

5 fl The fool foldeth his hands together, and eating his own flesh.

6 Better is an handful <witk quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

7 f Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

8 There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither/a»'M he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good > This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

9 fl Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

11 Again,.5s two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

13 fl Better is a poor and a wife child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

14. For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that (hall stand up in his stead.

J 6 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after mail not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

CHAP. V. 1 Vanities in divine service, 8 in murmuring against oppression, 9 and in riches. 18 Joy in riches is the gift of God.

KEEP thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fodlst for they consider not that they do evil. 1 Be not raih with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God : for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business ; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 Better is it that thou (houldest not vow, than that thou (houldest vow and not pay.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to caule thy flesh to sin; neither fay thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

7 For in the multitude of dreams »nd many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

% U

Other earthly vanities.

Remedies against vanity.

% f If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgement and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

9 <s\ Moreover the profit of the earth Is for all: the king himself h served by the field.

10 He that loveth silver (hall not besatisfied with silver j nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

Ii When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

ii The lleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance os the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a (ore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

14 But those riches peridi by evil travail : and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked (hall he return to po as he came,and (hall take nothingof his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

16 And this also is a lore evil, that in all points as he came, so (hall he go: and what profit hath he-that hath laboured for the wind?

17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow, and wrath with his sickness.

18 f Behold that which I have seen: 'f ;'/ good and comely for one to eat and to drink., and to enioy the good of all his labour that he takcth under the fun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

_ 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, ami to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

10 For he (hall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth hhn in the joy of his heart.

CHAP. VI. 1 The vanity of riches without use, 3 of children, 6 and old age without riches. 9 The vanity ofsight and wandering defires. 11 Thf conclusion of vanities. THERE is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

. * A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wantetb nothing for his soul of all that he

desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

3 fl If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, arid also that he have no burial; I lay, that ?.n untimely birth is better than he.

4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name (hall be covered with darkness.

5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.

6 »J Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

8 For what hath the wise more than the fool ? what hath the poor that knoweth to walk before the living?

9 % Better is the sight of the eyes, than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

10 That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

11 fl Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man tne better?

12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this lite, all the days of his vain life which he 1'pendeth as a (hadow? for who can tell a man what (hall be after him under the fun?

CHAP. VII. 1 Remedies against vanity, are a good name, 1 mortification, 7 patience, it ivisdom. 43 The difficulty of getting wisdom.

AG O O D name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.

1 t\ It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

4 The heart of the wife is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wife, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fooli this also is vanity,

7 Surely