foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
[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
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.
[19]
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
[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.
Qoh.11
[1] 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.
[3] If the clouds be full of rain,
they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the
place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.
[4] He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that
regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
[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.
[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 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.
Qoh.12
[1] Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years
draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
[2] While the sun, or the light, or the moon,
or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
[3] In the day when the keepers of
the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because
they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
[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 of musick shall be brought low;
[5] Also when they shall be afraid 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:
[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.
[7] Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return
unto God who gave it.
[8] Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
[9] And moreover, because
the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out,
and set in order many proverbs.
[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.
[13] Let
us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole
duty of man.
[14] For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be
good, or whether it be evil.