Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

Again, as for the ungodly, it shall not be well with him, neither shall he prolong his days: but even as a shadow, so shall he be that feareth not God.

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

For, unto all this, I applied my heart, and, my heart, considered all this, that, the righteous and the wise and their servants, were in the hand of God, - neither love nor hatred, could any man know, every one, was before Him.

All 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.

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

And again I saw under the sun that the reward goes not to him who is quick, or the fruits of war to the strong; and there is no bread for the wise, or wealth for men of learning, or respect for those who have knowledge; but time and chance come to all.

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

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

A wise man’s heart turns him toward the right [which is the way of blessing], but a fool’s heart turns him toward the left [which is the way of condemnation].

Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.

There is an evil I saw under the sun as an error going forth from before him having power:

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

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength; but wisdom [to sharpen the axe] helps him succeed [with less effort].

If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.

Words of the mouth of the wise are gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.

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.

And remember him creating thee in the days of thy youth, till even when the days of evil shall not come, and the years draw near in which thou shalt say, Not to me delight in them;

Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;

When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest the sheep, where thou maketh the rest at the noon day: for why shall I be like him that goeth wrong about the flocks of thy companions?

“He has brought me to his banqueting place,
And his banner over me is love [waving overhead to protect and comfort me].

The voice of my beloved I behold him coming leaping upon the mountains, springing upon the hills

My beloved is like to the roe or to the fawn of the hinds: behold him standing behind our wall looking forth from the windows, glancing from the lattices.

(The Bridegroom)
“O my dove, [here] in the clefts in the rock,
In the sheltered and secret place of the steep pathway,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”

(The Chorus)
“Catch the foxes for us,
The little foxes that spoil and ruin the vineyards [of love],
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

{My beloved belongs to me and I belong to him}; he pastures his flock among the lilies.

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

“Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
[In my thoughts] I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

Awake, O north wind! Come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden! Let its fragrances waft forth! Let my beloved come to his garden, let him eat his choice fruit!

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

Y What makes the one you love better than another,
most beautiful of women?
What makes him better than another,
that you would give us this charge?

His mouth is sweetness -- and all of him desirable, This is my beloved, and this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!

Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

There will I turn me unto my love, and he shall turn him unto me.

Many waters, cannot quench love, nor shall, floods, overwhelm it, - If a man would give all the substance of his house, for love, they would, utterly despise, him. ****

“Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon;
He entrusted the vineyard to caretakers;
Each one was to bring him a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

(The Shulammite Bride)
“Hurry, my beloved and come quickly,
Like a gazelle or a young stag [taking me home]
On the mountains of spices.”

Oh sinful nation,
people weighed down with iniquity,
brood of evildoers,
depraved children!
They have abandoned the Lord;
they have despised the Holy One of Israel;
they have turned their backs on Him.

From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in him; wounds, and weals, and open sores: they have not been dressed, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil.

Thy princes are traitors and companions of thieves. They love gifts altogether, and gape for rewards. As for the fatherless, they help him not to his right, neither will they let the widows causes come before them.

And it shall happen in the future of the days the mountain of the house of Yahweh [shall] be established; it will be among the highest of the mountains, and it shall be raised from [the] hills. All [of] the nations shall travel to him;

In that day doth man cast his idols of silver, And his idols of gold, That they have made for him to worship, To moles, and to bats,

Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for what account is to be made of him?

"For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because what they say and do opposes the LORD; they keep defying him.

Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

"At that time, seven women will cling tightly to one man and will make him this offer: "We'll provide our own bread. We'll provide our own clothes. Just let us marry you so we won't be stigmatized anymore.'"

And it hath been, he who is left in Zion, And he who is remaining in Jerusalem, 'Holy' is said of him, Of every one who is written for life in Jerusalem.

And Jerusalem shall be a tabernacle for a shadow because of heat in the daytime, and place and refuge where a man may keep him from weather and rain.

This he hedged, this he walled round about, and planted it with goodly grapes. In the midst of it builded he a tower, and made a wine press therein. And afterward when he looked that it should bring him grapes, it brought forth thorns.

That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!

Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Therefore will he lift up an ensign to the nations afar off, And signal for him from the end of the earth, - And lo! with hot haste, will he come:

None [is] weary, and none among him stumbles; none slumbers and none sleeps. And no loincloth on his waist is opened, and no thong of his sandals is drawn away.

The roaring to him as the lion, and he roared as the young lions: and they shall groan and shall lay hold of the prey, and it shall escape, and none delivering.

And he will roar over him on that day like [the] roaring of [the] sea, and [if] one looks to the land, look! Darkness! Distress! And [the] light grows dark with its clouds.

Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Make the heart of this people insensitive, and make its ears unresponsive, and shut its eyes so that it may not look with its eyes and listen with its ears and comprehend [with] its mind and turn back, and it may be healed [for] him."

And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel.

He will eat sour milk and honey, which will help him know how to reject evil and choose what is right.

I was then intimate with the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. The Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-shalal-hash-baz,

And shall break in upon Judah, increasing in power, till he get him by the throat. He shall fill also the wideness of thy land with his broad wings, O Immanuel."

Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

“Then He shall be a sanctuary [a sacred, indestructible shelter for those who fear and trust Him];
But to both the houses of Israel [both the northern and southern kingdoms—Israel and Judah, He will be] a stone on which to stumble and a rock on which to trip,
A trap and a snare for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And many shall stumble, fall, and be broken upon him: yea they shall be snared and taken."

And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

Then say to them, Put your faith in the teaching and the witness. ... If they do not say such things. ... For him there is no dawn. ...

and behold, there is trouble and darkness; vexation is round about him, and the cloud of error. And out of such adversity, shall he not escape.

For the yoke of his burden and the rod of his shoulder, and the rod of him oppressing with it thou didst break in pieces the day of Midian.

For every boot of him that is shod for the tumult, and the garment rolled in blood, shall be for burning, fuel for fire.

Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;

For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

but robbeth him on the righthand, and doth famish; he eateth on the left hand and he shall not have enough. Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm.

I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

But as for him, not so, doth he deem, And in his heart, not so, doth he think, - For, to destroy, is in his heart, And to cut off nations, not a few;

Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood.

Therefore shall the LORD of Hosts send him poverty in his riches, and burn up his power, as it were with a fire.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

For though thy people, O Israel, be as the sand of the sea, yet shall but the remnant of them only convert unto him. Perfect is the judgment of him that floweth in righteousness,

And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and as his rod was upon the sea, so shall he lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

But there shall come forth a shoot from the stock of Jesse, - And, a sprout from his roots, shall bear fruit; And the spirit of Yahweh shall rest upon him, -

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;

And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.

Indeed, God is my salvation;
I will trust Him and not be afraid,
for Yah, the Lord,
is my strength and my song.
He has become my salvation.”

At that time you will say: "Praise the Lord! Ask him for help! Publicize his mighty acts among the nations! Make it known that he is unique!

Everyone who is overtaken will have a spear put through him, and everyone who goes in flight will be put to the sword.