|
| |
Chapters: 1 2
3 4
5 6
| The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in
Jerusalem. |
| Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of
vanities; all is vanity. |
| What profit hath a man of all his labour which he
taketh under the sun? |
| One generation passeth away, and another generation
cometh: but the earth abideth for ever. |
| The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and
hasteth to his place where he arose. |
| The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about
unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth
again according to his circuits. |
| All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not
full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return
again. |
| All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it:
the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. |
| The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be;
and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new
thing under the sun. |
| Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this
is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us. |
| There is no remembrance of former things; neither
shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those
that shall come after. |
| I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. |
| 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. |
| I have seen all the works that are done under the
sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. |
| That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and
that which is wanting cannot be numbered. |
| I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am
come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that
have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of
wisdom and knowledge. |
| And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know
madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. |
| For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that
increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow. |
| I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee
with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. |
| I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What
doeth it? |
| I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet
acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I
might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do
under the heaven all the days of their life. |
| I made me great works; I builded me houses; I
planted me vineyards: |
| I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees
in them of all kind of fruits: |
| I made me pools of water, to water therewith the
wood that bringeth forth trees: |
| I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born
in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle
above all that were in Jerusalem before me: |
| I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar
treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women
singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments,
and that of all sorts. |
| So I was great, and increased more than all that
were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me. |
| And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from
them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all
my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour. |
| Then I looked on all the works that my hands had
wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all
was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the
sun. |
| And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness,
and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that
which hath been already done. |
| Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as
light excelleth darkness. |
| The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool
walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event
happeneth to them all. |
| Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the
fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I
said in my heart, that this also is vanity. |
| For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of
the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall
all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool. |
| Therefore I hated life; because the work that is
wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and
vexation of spirit. |
| Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under
the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. |
| And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a
fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured,
and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This is also
vanity. |
| Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair
of all the labour which I took under the sun. |
| For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in
knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein
shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. |
| For what hath man of all his labour, and of the
vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? |
| For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief;
yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. |
| There is nothing better for a man, than that he
should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his
labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. |
| For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto,
more than I? |
| For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight
wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to
gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God.
This also is vanity and vexation of spirit. |
| To every thing there is a season, and a time to
every purpose under the heaven: |
| A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to
plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; |
| A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break
down, and a time to build up; |
| A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to
mourn, and a time to dance; |
| A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather
stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from
embracing; |
| A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep,
and a time to cast away; |
| A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep
silence, and a time to speak; |
| A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war,
and a time of peace. |
| What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he
laboureth? |
| I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the
sons of men to be exercised in it. |
| 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. |
| I know that there is no good in them, but for a man
to rejoice, and to do good in his life. |
| And also that every man should eat and drink, and
enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. |
| 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. |
| That which hath been is now; and that which is to be
hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. |
| And moreover I saw under the sun the place of
judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness,
that iniquity was there. |
| 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. |
| I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the
sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that
they themselves are beasts. |
| For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth
beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the
other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence
above a beast: for all is vanity. |
| All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all
turn to dust again. |
| Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and
the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? |
| 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? |
| So I returned, and considered all the oppressions
that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were
oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their
oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. |
| Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead
more than the living which are yet alive. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his
own flesh. |
| Better is an handful with quietness, than both the
hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. |
| Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun. |
| 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. |
| Two are better than one; because they have a good
reward for their labour. |
| 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. |
| Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but
how can one be warm alone? |
| And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand
him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. |
| Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and
foolish king, who will no more be admonished. |
| For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also
he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor. |
| I considered all the living which walk under the
sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead. |
| 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. |
| Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God,
and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they
consider not that they do evil. |
| 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. |
| For a dream cometh through the multitude of
business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. |
| 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. |
| Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that
thou shouldest vow and not pay. |
| 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? |
| For in the multitude of dreams and many words there
are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. |
| 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. |
| Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the
king himself is served by the field. |
| He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with
silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. |
| 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? |
| 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. |
| There is a sore evil which I have seen under the
sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. |
| But those riches perish by evil travail: and he
begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. |
| 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. |
| 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? |
| All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath
much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| For he shall not much remember the days of his life;
because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. |
| There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,
and it is common among men: |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in
darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness. |
| Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any
thing: this hath more rest than the other. |
| Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet
hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place? |
| All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the
appetite is not filled. |
| For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath
the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living? |
| Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering
of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit. |
| 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. |
| Seeing there be many things that increase vanity,
what is man the better? |
| For who knoweth what is good for man in this life,
all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can
tell a man what shall be after him under the sun? |
Next Book
Next Chapter
Top
Index Prev Chapter Prev
Book
|
Our purpose is to promote and support divine and Christian worship as
taught in
the examples and teachings contained in the Holy scriptures of
the Bible excluding additions and subtractions!
