22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vex- A. C. 980 ation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? to 975. ch. i. 3. & Job xiv. I. sorrows, and his travail grief; a rest in the night. This is also iii. 9. 23 For all his days are yea, his heart taketh not vanity. 24¶There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul viii. 15. enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from his senses. the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? cch. iii. 12, 13, 22. & v. 18. & * Or. delight him. 26 For God giveth to a man that is good + in his sight + Heb. before wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may d Job xxvii. give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. ECCLESIASTES III. 1 By the necessary change of times, vanity is added to human travail. 11 There is an excellency in God's works. 16 But as for man, God shall judge his works there, and here he shall be like a beast. 1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 17. 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to †Heb. to bear. 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 embrace, and a time § to refrain from embracing; Heb. to be far from. 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, || Or, seek. and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; 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 ech. i. 3. 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. A. C. 980 to 975. fch. i. 9 12 I know that there is no good 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 enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. 14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall 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; and that which is to Heb. that be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. which is driven away. g ver. 1. 16 ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, 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 of the sons + Or, that they of men, † that God might manifest them, and that they God, and see, might see that they themselves are beasts. might clear &c. h Ps. xlix. 20. ch. ii. 16. ↑ Heb. of the 19h For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, dieth the other: yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. 21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that § goeth upsons of man ward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Heb. his as cending. i ch. ii. 24. & ▼. 18. k ch. v. 8, &c. 22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him? ECCLESIASTES IV. 1 Vanity is increased unto men by oppression, 4 by envy, 5 by idleness, 7 by covetousness, 9 by solitariness, 13 by wilfulness. k 1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun and behold the tears of such as were Il Heb. hand. oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. I Job iii. 17, &c. 16, 21. 2 'Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive. m Job iii. 11, 3 m Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. to 975. 4 Again, I considered all travail, and every right A. C. 980 work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. 5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. 7 ¶ 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 saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. 9 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, if 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 Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished. * Heb. all the rightness of work. + Heb. this is the envy of a man from his neighbour. + Heb. who knoweth not to ed. 14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also be admonishhe that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. 15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. 16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit. ECCLESIASTES V. 1 Vanities in divine service, 8 in murmuring against oppression, 9 and in riches. 18 Joy in riches is the gift of God. 1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, P than to give the sacrifice of p1 Sam. xv. fools for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any § thing 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. 22. Ps. 1. 8. Prov. xv. 8. & xxi. 27. q Or, word. Matt. vi. 7. r Deut. xxiii. 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay 21 A.C. 980 it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. to 975. $ Ps. lxvi. 13, 14. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. 8 ¶ If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not * Heb. at the at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they. will, or, purpose. t Johi. 21. Ps. xlix. 17. 1Tim. vi. 7. u ch. i. 3. iii. 12, 13. 9¶ Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. 11 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? 12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. 13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. 14 But those riches perish 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 shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. 16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall 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. x ch. ii. 24. & 18 Behold that which I have seen: + it is good and +Heb. there comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good is comely, &c. of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days number of the of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. is a good which Heb. the days. Or, Though 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, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his much, yet he life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. he give not remembereth, &c. ECCLESIASTES VI. 1 The vanity of riches without use. 3 Of children, 6 and old age without riches. 9 The vanity of sight and wandering desires. 11 The conclusion of vanities. I There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and A. C. 980 it is common among men: 2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease. 3¶ 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, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he. 4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. 5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other. 6¶Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? 7 All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the * appetite is not filled. 8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? to 975. * Heb. soul. 9 Better is the sight of the eyes + than the wandering + Heb. than 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 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better? 12 For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life, which he spendeth as shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?. ECCLESIASTES VII. i Remedies against vanity are, a good name, 2 mortification, 7 patience, 11 wisdom. 23 The difficulty of wisdom. at the walking of the soul. Heb. the days of the life number of the of his vanity. y Ps. cxliv. 4. & xxii. 1. 1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and Prov. xv. 30. the day of death than the day of one's birth. 2¶ It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. 3 § Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of Or, Anger. the countenance the heart is made better. |