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ECCLESIASTES.

CHAP. I. Vanity of the World.

THE words of the Preacher, the son of David, king of Jerusalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities: all is vanity 4 One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh. 5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the porth it whirleth about continually. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full 8 All things are full of labour: man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, 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 shall bẹ done and there is no new thing under the sun. 12 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 sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. 14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and vexa tion of spirit.

CHAP. III. A Season for every thing.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; 6 A time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time of war, and a time of peace. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his

time: 14 I know that whatsover 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. 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. 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 upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? 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 whe shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

CHAP. V. Divine Worship.

KEEP thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools: 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. 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment 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 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. 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,

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whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

CHAP. VII. Remedies against Vanity.

A GOOD name is better than precious oint. ment and 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 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 mirth.

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10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this. Wisdom is good with an inheritance; 12 But the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful; but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him. 20 For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not. 26 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

CHAP. VIII. Divine Providence.

2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. 5 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. 8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death: and there is

no discharge in that war. 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him. 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, because he feareth not before God.

CHAP. IX. Death appointed for all.

2 ALL things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good, and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: 5 For the living know that they shall die but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for 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. 10 What

soever 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 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. 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city: yet no man remembered that same poor man.

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CHAP. X. Civil Duties,

5 THERE is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. 7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 16 Wo to thee, O land, when thy 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 ! 20 Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

CHAP. XI. Early Piety.

CAST 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. 5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow, even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 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. 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 thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. 10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for childhood and youth are vanity.

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