Better are two, than one, - in that they have a good reward for their toil.

When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, - what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?

Even all his days, are spent in darkness and mourning, - and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.

Even though one hath lived a thousand years twice told, yet, good, hath he not seen, - is it not, unto one place, that, all, are going?

Seeing there are things in abundance which make vanity abound, what profit hath man?

Wisdom, bringeth more strength to a wise man, than ten heroes, that are in the city.

No man, hath power over the spirit, to retain the spirit, and, none, hath power over the day of death, and there is no furlough in war, - neither shall lawlessness deliver them who are given thereto.

The words of the wise, in quietness, are heard, - beyond the outcry of one who ruleth over dullards.

The words of a wise man's mouth, are pleasant, - but, the lips of a dullard, will swallow him up:

Therefore remove thou vexation from thy heart, and put away discomfort from thy flesh, - for, youth and dawn, are vanity!

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the men of might bow themselves, - and the grinders cease because they are few, and they who look through the windows are darkened;

The words of the wise, are as goads, yea, as driven nails, their well-ordered sayings, - given from one shepherd.

SHELet him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! THEYFor better are thy caresses than wine:

Comely are thy cheeks, with bead-rows, thy neck, with strings of gems.

HELo! thou art beautiful my fair one, lo! thou art beautiful, Thine eyes, are doves!

The beams of our house, are cedars, Our fretted ceiling, is cypress-trees.

BOTHTake ye for us, the foxes, the little foxes that are spoiling the vines, - and, our vines, are all blossom!

HELo! thou art beautiful, my fair one, Lo! thou art beautiful, Thine eyes, are doves, from behind thy veil, - Thy hair, is like a flock of goats, which are reclining on the sides of Mount Gilead:

Thy teeth, are like a flock, evenly grown, which have come up from the washing-place, - whereof, all of them, are twin-bearers, and bereaved, is none among them:

Like a cord of crimson, are thy lips, and, thy mouth, is lovely, - Like a slice of pomegranate, are thy temples, behind thy veil:

Thy two breasts, are like two young roes, twins of a gazelle, - which pasture among lilies.

How beautiful are thy caresses, my sister, bride, - how much more delightful thy caresses, than wine, and the fragrance of thine oils, than all spices:

With sweetness, thy lips do drip, O bride, - Honey and milk, are under thy tongue, and, the fragrance of thy garments, is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

Thy buddings forth, are a paradise of pomegranates, with precious fruits, - henna bushes, with nard blossoms:

His head, is pure gold, - his locks, are bushy, black as a raven;

Turn away thine eyes from me, for, they, have excited me, - Thy hair, is like a flock of goats, that are reclining on the sides of Mount Gilead:

Thy teeth, are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing-place, - whereof, all of them, are twin-bearers, and bereaved, is there none among them:

Like a slice of pomegranate, are thy temples, from behind thy veil:

Threescore, are the queens, and, fourscore, are the concubines, - and, virgins, there are, without number.

How beautiful, are thy feet in sandals, O daughter of a noble, - The curvings of thy hips, are like ornaments wrought by the hands of a skilled workman:

Thy two breasts, are like two young roes, the twins of a gazelle:

Thy neck, is like a tower of ivory, - Thine eyes, are pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bath-rabbim, Thy nose, is like the tower of Lebanon, which looketh towards Damascus:

This thy stature, is like to a palm-tree, and, thy breasts, are like clusters:

The love-apples, have given fragrance, and, at our openings, are all precious things, new and yet old, - O my beloved! I have treasured them up for thee.

SHESet me as a seal, upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm, For, mighty as death, is love, Exacting as hades, is jealousy, - The flames thereof, are flames of fire, The flash of Yah!

HEO thou fair dweller in the gardens, the companions are giving heed to thy voice, Let me hear it.

Alas! a nation - committing sin, a people - burdened with iniquity, a seed - practising wickedness, sons - acting corruptly. They have forsaken Yahweh despised the Holy One of Israel, - Are estranged and gone back.

Your country - is a desolation, Your cities - are consumed with fire, - Your soil - right before your eyes, foreigners are devouring it, And it is a desolation a very overthrow by foreigners;

Even when ye spread forth your open palms, I hide mine eyes from you; Yea, though ye multiply prayers, I am not hearkening, - Your hands, with deeds of blood, are filled.

Thy rulers, are unruly, and companions of thieves, Every one of the people, loveth a bribe, and runneth after rewards, - The fatherless, they do not vindicate, And, the plea of the widow, reacheth them not.

And upon all cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, - And upon all the oaks of Bashan;

For stumbled bath Jerusalem, and, Judah, hath fallen, - Because, their tongue and their doings, are against Yahweh, Provoking his glorious presence,

My people! children, are their tyrants, And, women, rule over them, - My people! they who should lead thee forward, are causing thee to stray, Thy pathways, have they destroyed,

Because haughty are the daughters of Zion, And they walk with neck thrown back, and wanton eyes, - Tripping along as they go, And with their feet, making, a tinkling sound,

Surely the vineyard of Yahweh of hosts, is the house of Israel, And, the men of Judah, are the plantation in which he dearly delighted, - And he waited, For equity but lo! murderous iniquity, For the rule of right but lo the cry of the wronged.

Alas for them who join house to house, Field to field, bring they near, - Until there is no room, But ye are left to dwell alone in the midst of the land.

Alas, for them who rise early in the morning that strong drink, they may pursue, - Who follow on in the evening cool until with wine, they are heated;

And it cometh to pass - that lyre and harp, timbrel and flute and wine are in their banquets, - But, the doing of Yahweh, they do not discern, And the work of his hands, have they not seen.

Therefore, are my people taken away captive before they know it, - And their honourable mean are famished with hunger, And, their multitude, do gape for thirst.

Alas for them Who are wise in their own eyes, - And in their own sight, are prudent.

Alas for them Who are heroes to drink wine, - And men of valour to mingle strong drink,

Whose arrows, are sharpened, and all his bows, bent, - The hoofs of his horses, like flint, are accounted, And, his wheels, are like a storm-wind:

Because this people hath refused the waters of Shiloah which flow softly, - and are rejoicing with Rezin and the son of Remaliah,

Lo! I and the children whom Yahweh hath given me, are for signs and for wonders in Israel, - from Yahweh of hosts, who is making his habitation in Mount Zion.

and the people shall all of them know it - Ephraim and the dweller in Samaria - Who in pride and insolence of heart, are saying:

And they who should have led this people forward have been causing them to stray, - And, they who are led of them are destroyed,

And he hath slain on the right, and yet is hungry, And hath eaten on the left, yet are they not satisfied, - Every one, the flesh of his own arm, will they eat:

For he saith: - Are not, my generals, all alike, kings?

And my hand hath found as a nest the wealth of the peoples, And as the gathering of eggs that are forsaken, all the earth, have, I, gathered, - And there was none to flap a wing, or open a mouth or chirp.

Behold! the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, is about to lop off a tree-crown, with a crash, - Then shall, they who are lifted on high, be hewn down, And, the lofty, be laid low;

But he will judge with righteousness! them who are poor, And decide with equity! for the oppressed of the land, - And he will smite the land With the sceptre of his mouth, And with the breath of his lips, will he slay the lawless one;

They are coming in From a land far away. From the utmost bound of the heavens, - Yahweh - with his weapons of indignation, To destroy the land.

All the kings of the nations - they all, are lying in state Each one in his crypt;

For the waters of Dimon, are full of blood, For I will lay upon Dimon new troubles, - To the escaped of Moab, the lions, Even to the survivors on the soil.

We have heard of the arrogance of Moab, Proud exceedingly! His haughtiness and his arrogance and his passion, Not true, are his boastings.

For, the fields of Heshbon are withered - The vine of Sibmah, the owners of nations, have broken off ruddy branches, Unto Jazer, had they reached, They had spread abroad to the desert, - Her boughs, had stretched forth, had gone over to the sea.

Forsaken, are the desolate cities, - For flocks, shall they serve, Which shall lie down and have none to make them afraid.

Surely, foolish, are the princes of Zoan, the wisest counsellors of Pharaoh, in counsel are brutish, - How can ye say unto Pharaoh, Son of the wise, am I Son of the kings of olden time?

Where then are thy wise men? Pray let them tell thee! And let them know what Yahweh of hosts hath purposed on Egypt!

Doting are the princes of Zoan, Deceived are the princes of Noph: They who are the corner-stone of her tribes, have led Egypt astray.

For this cause, are my loins filled with anguish, Pangs, have seized me, as the pangs of her that is giving birth, - I writhe so that I cannot hear, I tremble, so that I cannot see:

When lo! here was a train of men coming. With horsemen in double rank, - And one began and said, Fallen! fallen! is Babylon, And all the images of her gods, are smashed to the ground!

With tumults, art thou filled, thou citadel in commotion! city exultant! Thy slain, are Not the slain, of the sword, Nor the dead in battle.

All thy ruler, having fled, together, by the bow, are taken captive: All found in thee have been taken captive, together, Far away, have they fled.

And it hath come to pass that the choice of thy vales, are full of chariots; Yea, the horsemen, have set themselves, in array, at the gate.

Who hath purposed this, against Tyre, The bestower of crowns, - Whose merchants are princes, Her traders the honourable of the earth?

For this cause, a curse, hath devoured the earth, And punished are the dwellers therein, - For this cause, are burned the inhabitants of the earth, And the men left remaining - are few.

Mourneth the new wine. Withereth the vine, - Sighing are all the merryhearted:

Terror and pit and snare, - are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth!

So shall it be - He that fleeth from the sound of the terror! shall fall into the pit, And I he that getteth up out of the midst of the pit, shall be captured in the snare, - For, the windows on high, have opened, And shaken are the foundations of earth.

When the cut-off boughs thereof are dry, they shall be broken to pieces, Women, coming, are kindling it! For it is not a people of understanding, For this cause, Will he that made him, not have compassion upon him, And, he that formed him, will shew him no favour.

Alas! for the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, And for his fading wreath of majestic beauty, - Which is on the head of the fertile valley, of them who are overcome with wine.

But as for these, With wine, do they reel, and With strong drink, do they stagger, - Priest and prophet, reel with strong drink They are swallowed up through wine They stagger through strong drink, They reel in prophetic vision, They totter in pronouncing judgment.

For, all tables, are full of filthy vomit, - There is no place!

Whom, would he teach knowledge? And, whom, would he cause to understand the message? Them who are weaned from the milk? taken from the breasts?

Stand ye stock still and stare, Besmear your eyes and be blind, - They are drunken but not with wine, They reel, but not with strong drink;

For the tyrant, hath vanished, And the scoffer, is no more, Yea cut off are all who watch for iniquity: -

Alas! for sons who are rebellious, Declareth Yahweh. Executing a purpose, but not from me, And pouring out a libation but not from my spirit, - That they may add sin to sin:

Who are setting out to go down to Egypt, But at my mouth, have not asked, - Betaking them to the protection of Pharaoh And seeking refuge under the shadow of Egypt.

Every one, hath felt ashamed of a people that could not serve them, - Neither with help, nor with service, But they are a shame, yea even a reproach.

And, therefore, will Yahweh wait, That he may grant you favour, And, therefore, will he lift himself up, That he may show you compassion, - For A God of justice, is, Yahweh, How happy all they who are waiting for him

Lo! the Name of Yahweh, coming in from afar, His anger kindling, A heavy storm, - His lips, are full of indignation, And, his tongue, is like a fire that devoureth;

Alas! for them who are going down to Egypt for help, On horses, would rely, - And have trusted - In chariots - because they are many, and In horsemen, because they are very bold, But have not looked unto the Holy One of Israel, And onto Yahweh, have not sought.

Now, the Egyptians, are, men, and not, GOD, And their horses, flesh, and not, spirit; When, Yahweh, shall stretch out his hand, Then I he that is giving help, shall stumble And I he that is receiving help shall fall, And together, shall all of them vanish!

And the eyes of them who are ready to see, shall not be closed, - And, the ears of them who are ready to hear, shall hearken;

Yea, a knave, his weapons are wicked, - He, base schemes, hath devised To ruin the oppressed with speeches of falsehood Even when the needy pleadeth, for justice.

How happy are ye who sow beside all waters, - Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass.

The highways are deserted, The passer-by on the path, hath ceased, - He hath broken covenant, He hath despised cities, He hath made no account of men.

The land mourneth, languisheth, Lebanon, displayeth shame, is withered, - Sharon, hath become, as the waste plain, And Bashan and Carmel are shaking off their leaves.

Hear - ye that are far off. what I have done, And know - ye that are near my might: