Ecclesiastes 4:1–8:1

I turned myself to other things, and I saw the oppressions that are done under the sun, and the tears of the innocent, and they had no comforter; and they were not able to resist their violence, being destitute of help from any.

²And I praised the dead rather than the living:

³And I judged him happier than them both, that is not yet born, nor hath seen the evils that are done under the sun.

⁴Again I considered all the labours of men, and I remarked that their industries are exposed to the envy of their neighbour: so in this also there is vanity, and fruitless care.

⁵The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh, saying:

⁶Better is a handful with rest, than both hands full with labour, and vexation of mind.

⁷Considering I found also another vanity under the sun:

⁸There is but one, and he hath not a second, no child, no brother, and yet he ceaseth not to labour, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches, neither doth he reflect, saying: For whom do I labour, and defraud my soul of good things? in this also is vanity, and a grievous vexation.

⁹It is better therefore that two should be together, than one: for they have the advantage of their society:

¹⁰If one fall he shall be supported by the other: woe to him that is alone, for when he falleth, he hath none to lift him up.

¹¹And if two lie together, they shall warm one another: how shall one alone be warmed?

¹²And if a man prevail against one, two shall withstand him: a threefold cord is not easily broken.

¹³Better is a child that is poor and wise, than a king that is old and foolish, who knoweth not to foresee for hereafter.

¹⁴Because out of prison and chains sometimes a man cometh forth to a kingdom: and another born king is consumed with poverty.

¹⁵I saw all men living, that walk under the sun with the second young man, who shall rise up in his place.

¹⁶The number of the people, of all that were before him is infinite: and they that shall come afterwards, shall not rejoice in him: but this also is vanity, and vexation of spirit.

¹⁷Keep thy foot, when thou goest into the house of God, and draw nigh to hear. For much better is obedience, than the victims of fools, who know not what evil they do.

Chapter 5

Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

²Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.

³If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.

⁴And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.

⁵Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.

⁶Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.

⁷If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:

⁸Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.

⁹A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.

¹⁰Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?

¹¹Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

¹²There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.

¹³For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.

¹⁴As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.

¹⁵A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

¹⁶All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.

¹⁷This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.

¹⁸And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.

¹⁹For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight.

Chapter 6

There is also another evil, which I have seen under the sun, and that frequent among men:

²A man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and honour, and his soul wanteth nothing of all that he desireth: yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but a stranger shall eat it up. This is vanity and a great misery.

³If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, and attain to a great age, and his soul make no use of the goods of his substance, and he be without burial: of this man I pronounce, that the untimely born is better than he.

⁴For he came in vain, and goeth to darkness, and his name shall be wholly forgotten.

⁵He hath not seen the sun, nor known the distance of good and evil:

⁶Although he lived two thousand years, and hath not enjoyed good things: do not all make haste to one place?

⁷All the labour of man is for his mouth, but his soul shall not be filled.

⁸What hath the wise man more than the fool? and what the poor man, but to go thither, where there is life?

⁹Better it is to see what thou mayst desire, than to desire that which thou canst not know. But this also is vanity, and presumption of spirit.

¹⁰He that shall be, his name is already called: and it is known, that he is a man, and cannot contend in judgment with him that is stronger than himself.

¹¹There are many words that have much vanity in disputing.

Chapter 7

What needeth a man to seek things that are above him, whereas he knoweth not what is profitable for him in his life, in all the days of his pilgrimage, and the time that passeth like a shadow? Or who can tell him what shall be after him under the sun?

²A good name is better than precious ointments: and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

³It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to the house of feasting: for in that we are put in mind of the end of all, and the living thinketh what is to come.

⁴Anger is better than laughter: because by the sadness of the countenance the mind of the offender is corrected.

⁵The heart of the wise is where there is mourning, and the heart of fools where there is mirth.

⁶It is better to be rebuked by a wise man, than to be deceived by the flattery of fools.

⁷For as the crackling of thorns burning under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: now this also is vanity.

⁸Oppression troubleth the wise, and shall destroy the strength of his heart.

⁹Better is the end of a speech than the beginning. Better is the patient man than the presumptuous.

¹⁰Be not quickly angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of a fool.

¹¹Say not: What thinkest thou is the cause that former times were better than they are now? for this manner of question is foolish.

¹²Wisdom with riches is more profitable, and bringeth more advantage to them that see the sun.

¹³For as wisdom is a defence, so money is a defence: but learning and wisdom excel in this, that they give life to him that possesseth them.

¹⁴Consider the works of God, that no man can correct whom he hath despised.

¹⁵In the good day enjoy good things, and beware beforehand of the evil day: for God hath made both the one and the other, that man may not find against him any just complaint.

¹⁶These things also I saw in the days of my vanity: A just man perisheth in his justice, and a wicked man liveth a long time in his wickedness.

¹⁷Be not over just: and be not more wise than is necessary, lest thou become stupid.

¹⁸Be not overmuch wicked: and be not foolish, lest thou die before thy time.

¹⁹It is good that thou shouldst hold up the just, yea and from him withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God, neglecteth nothing.

²⁰Wisdom hath strengthened the wise more than ten princes of the city.

²¹For there is no just man upon earth, that doth good, and sinneth not.

²²But do not apply thy heart to all words that are spoken: lest perhaps thou hear thy servant reviling thee.

²³For thy conscience knoweth that thou also hast often spoken evil of others.

²⁴I have tried all things in wisdom. I have said: I will be wise: and it departed farther from me,

²⁵Much more than it was: it is a great depth, who shall find it out?

²⁶I have surveyed all things with my mind, to know, and consider, and seek out wisdom and reason: and to know the wickedness of the fool, and the error of the imprudent:

²⁷And I have found a woman more bitter than death, who is the hunter’s snare, and her heart is a net, and her hands are bands. He that pleaseth God shall escape from her: but he that is a sinner, shall be caught by her.

²⁸Lo this have I found, said Ecclesiastes, weighing one thing after another, that I might find out the account,

²⁹Which yet my soul seeketh, and I have not found it. One man among a thousand I have found, a woman among them all I have not found.

³⁰Only this I have found, that God made man right, and he hath entangled himself with an infinity of questions. Who is as the wise man? and who hath known the resolution of the word?

Chapter 8

The wisdom of a man shineth in his countenance, and the most mighty will change his face.