God's providence ruleth over all. ECCLESIASTES. Observations of wisdom and folly living there is hope: for a living dog is the city; yet no man remembered that better than a dead lion. с 5 For the living know that they shall die but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for d the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. 7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. 8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment. 9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. f 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. 11 ¶I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. h same poor man. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. i EAD flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. 3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. a 13 ¶ This wisdom have I seen also un-pent shall bite him. der the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt 14 There was a little city, and few therewith; and he that cleaveth wood men within it; and there came a great shall be endangered thereby. king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to di 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered ||rect. Directions for charity. CHAP. XI, XII. God to be remembered in youth. 11 Surely the serpent will bite without 4 He that observeth the wind shall not enchantment; and a 'babbler is no better. sow; and he that regardeth the clouds 12 h The words of a wise man's mouth shall not reap. are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. f k 1 14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. 16 ¶ Woe to thee, O land, when thy [ m king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and "thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness ! 18 ¶ By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. 7 ¶ Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun : 8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. i 9 ¶ Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes but 19¶ A feast is made for laughter, and know thou, that for all these things God 'wine maketh merry: but money answer-will bring thee into judgment. eth all things. i 20 ¶ Curse not the king, no not in thy *thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. CHAP. XI. 1 Directions for charity. 7 Death in life, 9 and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on. BEFORE CHRIST 977.] a a AST thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.|| 2 © Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. e с k 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. CHAP. XII. 3 If the clouds be full of rain, they emp-house shall tremble, and the strong men ty themselves upon the earth: and if the shall bow themselves, and the grinders tree fall toward the south, or toward the cease because they are few, and those that north, in the place where the tree falleth, look out of the windows be darkened, there it shall be. g Ps. 58. 4, 5. Jer. 8. 17. 13. f Heb. grace. i Prov. 10. 14. & 18.7 g Heb. his mouth. k Prov. 15. 2. h Heb. multiplieth words. 1 ch. 3. 22. & 6. 12. & 8. 7. m Is. 3. 4, 5, 12. & 5. 11. n Prov. 31. 4. Ps. 104. 15. i Heb. maketh glad the life. p Ex. 22. 28. Acts 23. 5. k Or, conscience, figure liko, Luke 19. 40. CHAP. XI. a See Isai. 32. 20. a lob. upon the face of the waters. b Deut. 15. 10. Prov. 19. 17. Matt. 10. 42. 2 Cor. 9. 8. Gal. 6. 9, 10. 6. 30. 1 Tim. 6. 18, 19. d Mic. 5. 5. e Ephes. 5. 16. h ch. 7. 11. i Num. 15. 39. c Or, anger. 12 Cor. 7. 1. 2 Tim. 2. 22. m Ps. 39. 5. CHAP. XII. a Prov. 2. 6. Lam. 3. 27. b See 2 Sam. 19 G. fail, because they grind little. g Ps. 139. 14, 15 Rom 2. 6-11 a Or, the grindlers a CHAP. I. She prayeth to be directed was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. k 10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and 'much study is a weariness of the flesh. m 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: " Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. n 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. The SONG of SOLOMON. 5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon 1 The church's love unto Christ. 5 She confesseth her deformity, 7 and prayeth to be directed to his flock. 8 Christ directeth her to the shepherds' tents: 9 and shewing his love to her, 11 giveth her gracious promises. 12 The church and Christ congratulate one another. [BEFORE CHRIST 1014.] THE song of songs, which is Solo-me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards; 2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of but mine own vineyard have I not kept. his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. mon's. с a 3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me, d we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: 'the upright love thee. e ch. 3.21, b Num. 16. 22. & 27. 16. Job 34. 14. Isai. 57. 16. Zech. 12. 1. i Ps. 62. ch. 1.2. b Or, the more wise the preacher was, &c. k 1 Kings 4. 32. c Heb. words f delight. I ch. 1. 1. d Or, reading. e Or, The end of the matter, even all that hath been heard, is. m Deut. 6. 2. & 10. 12. n ch. 11.9. Matt. 12 36. Acts 17. 30 The love of Christ and his church. CHAP. II. III. The church's victory in temptation. to a company of horses in Pharaoh's cha-he cometh leaping upon the mountains. skipping upon the hills. riots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. 11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. 12 ¶ While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell there of. wellbelov 9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing f himself through the lattice. e 10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. 11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain 13 A bundle of myrrh is my ed unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt is over and gone; my breasts. 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi. 15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes. e 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant also our bed is green. 17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir. f с 4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. 5 Stay me with flagons, d comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. 8 ¶ The voice of my beloved! behold, h 2 Chron. 1. 16, 17. i Ezek. 16. 11, 12, 13. d Or, cypress: ch. 4. 13. k ch. 4. 1. e Or, my companion. fOr, galleries. 12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy Countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his he feedeth among the lilies. 17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether. e Christ showeth his love to her 4 It was but a little that I passed from are like a piece of a pomegranate within them, but I found him whom my soul lov- thy locks. eth: I held him, and would not let him go, 4 Thy neck is like the tower of David until I had brought him into my mother's builded for an armoury, whereon there house, and into the chamber of her that hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of conceived me. mighty men. 5 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please. d 6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel. 8 They all hold swords, being expert in war every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself" a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. 11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. CHAP. IV. 1 Christ setteth forth the graces of the church. 8 He sheweth his love to her. 16 The church prayeth to be made fit for his presence. [BEFORE CHRIST 1014.] a BEHOLD, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a b flock of goats, "that appear from mount Gilead. 5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from 6 h Until the daybreak, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. 7 i Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. 8 ¶ Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. с 9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! 'how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! m 11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb : honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. n 12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, e 14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: 15 A fountain of gardens, a well of o liv the washing; whereof every one bearing waters, and streams from Lebanon. twins, and none is barren among them. 3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples c ch. 2. 7. & 8. 4. d ch. 8. 5. a Or, a bed. CHAP. IV. a ch. 1. 15. & 5. 12. b ch. 6. 5. a Or, that eat of, &c. c ch. 6. 6. f Neh 3. 19. g See Prov. 5. 19. ch 7.3. h ch. 2. 17 6. 7. e ch. 7. 4. d ch. b Heb. 16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. P Let my breathe. i Ephes. 5. 27. k Deut. 3. 9. c Or, taken away my heart. 1 ch. 1. 2 |