The increase of vanity.

BEFORE CHRIST

cir. 977.

a ch. 3.16. & 5.8.

2 Heb. hand.

b Job 3.17, &C.

c Job 3. 11, 16, 21. ch. 6. 3.

3 Heb. all the rightness of work.

4 Heb. this is the envy of a man from his neighbour. d Prov.6.10. & 24. 33.

с

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 sun.

4 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 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh. 6 Better is an handful with quiet16,17.10.8. ness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

• Prov. 15.

? Prov. 27. 20.

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 1 John 2.16. 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.

g Ps. 39. 6.

5 Heb. who knoweth not to be admonished.

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, 5 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 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 iş vanity and vexation of spirit.

Abuses in divine service.

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.

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.

&c.

b1 Sam. 15.

22

Ps. 50. 8. Prov. 15.8. & 21.27.

Hos. 6. 6.

Or, word.

c Prov.10. 19.

Matt.6.7. Prov. 10.

19.

e Num. 30. 2.

Deut. 23. 1,22,23

50. 14. & 76. 11. f Ps. 66. 13,

14.

5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest Prov. 20. vow and not pay.

25.

Acts 5. 4.

10.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou 1 Cor. 11. 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.

k

1 ch. 12. 13.

3 Heb.at

8 If thou seest the oppression ch. 3. 16. 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: 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 m 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.

the will, or,

purpose.
1 Ps. 12. 5.

& 68.11.

& 82. 1.

Vanity of riches.

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 977.

• ch. 1.3. p Prov. 11. 29.

q Ps. 127.2.

r ch. 2. 24. & 3. 12, 13, 22. & 9.7. & 11.9.

1 Tim. 6.17. 2 Heb. there is a good which is comely, &c.

3 Heb. the number of

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 a he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

18 T Behold that which I have seen it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

t

19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and

Of a good name.

GOOD name is better than pre- Prov.15.30.

3.22.

t ch. 2. 24. &

and to take his portion, and to rejoice 3. 13. & 6.2. in his labour; this is the gift of God.

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.

5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, 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 fool: this also is vanity.

& 22. 1.

7 ¶ Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroy- Deut. 16.19. eth the heart.

pa

8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the tient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

10 Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

6

7

11 Wisdom is good with an inheritance: and by it there is profit to them that see the sun.

12 For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excel-shadow. lency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it. 13 Consider the work of God: for See Job 12. who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?

14 In the day of prosperity be

ch. 1. 15. 18. 14. 27.

k ch. 3. 4. Deut. 28.47.

Difficulty of wisdom.

q 1 Kings 8. 46.

2 Chr. 6. 36.

Prov. 20. 9. Rom. 3. 23.

1 John 1.8. 6 Heb. give

not thine heart.

joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath 2 set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: 'there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; "neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou 'destroy thyself?

17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

4

18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

19 P Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty, men which are in the city.

20 a For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

Kings to be respected.

tion of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and 2bthe boldness of his face shall be changed. 2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

3a Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 977. *Prov.4.8,9. & 17. 24. See Acts 6.

2 Heb. the strength.

Deut. 28. 50.

c1 Chr.29.24. Ezek.17.18.

Rom. 13. 5. Job 34. 18.

d ch. 10. 4.

know.

5 Whoso keepeth the commandment 3 shall feel no evil thing: and Heb. shall a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

6 ¶ Because to every purpose ch. 3. 1. there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.

7 8 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him 'when it shall be?

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; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9 All this have I seen, and applied

8 Job 28. 12, 20.

1 Tim. 6.16.

tRom.11.33.

6 Heb. I and compassed.

my heart

u ch. 1. 17. & 2. 12.

xProv.5.3,4. & 22. 14.

7 Heb. he that is good before God.

7 ch. 1. 1, 2.

8 Or, weigh ing one thing after another, to find out the

reason.

z Job 33. 23. Ps. 12. 1.

■ Gen. 1. 27.

24. That which is far off, and texceeding deep, who can find it out?

25 6uI applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:

28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

29 Lo, this only have I found, a that b Gen. 3.6,7. God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, &7.15. there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous I said that this also is vanity.

:

och. 2, 24, & 5. 18.

& 3. 12, 22.

& 9.7.

Like things

BEFORE CHRIST cir. 977.

P Job 5.9. ch. 3. 11.

which God giveth him under the

sun.

16 ¶ When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes :)

17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that Pa man cannot find out the Rom. 11.33. work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek it out, yet he shall not find it, yea farther; though a wise man think to know a Ps. 73.16. it, yet shall he not be able to find it. CHAPTER IX.

2 Heb. I gave, or, set to my heart.

a ch. 8. 14.

b Job 21. 7, &c. Ps. 73.3, 12, 13. Mal. 3. 15.

1 Like things happen to good and bad. 4 There is a necessity of death unto men. 7 Comfort is all their portion in this life. 11 God's pro

vidence ruleth over all. 13 Wisdom is better than strength.

my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.

FOR all this I considered in

2bAll 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: as is the good, so is the sinner; and 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 event unto all yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

4. For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they Job 14. 21. shall die: but the dead know not IB. 63. 16. any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

a Job 7. 8, 9, 10. Is. 26. 14.

e ch. 8. 15.

3 Heb. See, or, Enjoy life.

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.

е

7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8 Letthy 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 1 ch. 2.10.24. given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: 'for that is thy

& 3. 13, 22. & 5. 18.

happen unto all.

Amos 2. Jer. 9. 23.

14, 15.

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. 12 For man also knoweth not his ch. 8.7. 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.

13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

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.

16 'Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless m the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18" Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Directions for charity.

BEFORE CHRIST

cir. 977.

? Ps. 7. 15.

horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

8' He that diggeth a pit shall fall Prov.26.27. into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

g Pa. 58. 4,5. Jer. 8. 17. 2 Heb. the master of the tongue. h Prov. 10. 32. & 12. 13. 3 Heb. grace.

i Prov. 10. 14. & 18.7. 4 Heb. his mouth.

k Prov.15.2. 5 Heb. multiplieth words.

1 ch. 3. 22.
& 6. 12.
& 8. 7.

m Is. 3. 4, 5, 12. & 5. 11.

a Prov. 31.

4.

9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

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 direct.

11 Surely the serpent will bite g without enchantment; and 2a babbler is no better.

12h The words of a wise man's mouth are 3 gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous mad

ness.

14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and I 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 ¶m Woe 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

strength, and not for drunkenness ! 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

6

19 ¶ A feast is made for laughter, Ps. 104. 15. and wine maketh merry: but money_answereth all things.

6 Heb. maketh glad the life.

Acts 23. 5.

7

20 ¶ Curse not the king, no not PEx. 22. 28. in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that Luke 19. 40. which hath wings shall tell the matter.

7 Or, conscience, figure like,

4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters 2 Sam. 19. of musick shall be brought low;

of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to "his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Also when they shall afraid

6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

35.

dJob 17. 18.

Jer. 9. 17.