Of old I have known from your testimonies, that you have founded them forever.

Many are my persecutors and my adversaries. I haven't swerved from your testimonies.

SIN and SHIN. Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.

Those who love your Law have great peace. Nothing causes them to stumble.

I have hoped for your salvation, LORD. I have done your commandments.

I have obeyed your precepts and your testimonies, for all my ways are before you.

Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.

I have longed for your salvation, LORD. Your Law is my delight.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.

then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their wrath was kindled against us;

then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;

then the proud waters would have gone over our soul.

Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,

many times they have afflicted me from my youth up, yet they have not prevailed against me.

Out of the depths I have cried to you, LORD.

Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.

"This is my resting place forever. Here I will live, for I have desired it.

There I will make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.

For the LORD will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants.

They have mouths, but they can't speak. They have eyes, but they can't see.

They have ears, but they can't hear; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be blessed who rewards you, as you have served us.

I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.

All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, LORD, for they have heard the words of your mouth.

LORD, you have searched me, and you know me.

I hate them with perfect hatred. They have become my enemies.

They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent. Viper's poison is under their lips. Selah.

LORD, keep me from the hands of the wicked. Preserve me from the violent men who have determined to trip my feet.

The proud have hidden a snare for me, they have spread the cords of a net by the path. They have set traps for me. Selah.

LORD, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.

LORD, I have called on you. Come to me quickly. Listen to my voice when I call to you.

Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, you knew my path. In the way in which I walk, they have hidden a snare for me.

For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

to execute on them the written judgment. All his holy ones have this honor. Praise the LORD.

You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse."

Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you," when you have it by you.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

and say, "How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me.

I have come to the brink of utter ruin, in the midst of the gathered assembly."

My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

"Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. This day I have paid my vows.

Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.

I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

"I, wisdom, have made prudence my dwelling. Find out knowledge and discretion.

Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.

"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed.

He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread, but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.

There are some who pretend to be rich, yet have nothing. There are some who pretend to be poor, yet have great wealth.

A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame, and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.

It isn't good to have zeal without knowledge; nor being hasty with one's feet and missing the way.

Delicate living is not appropriate for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

Who can say, "I have made my heart pure. I am clean and without sin?"

The rich and the poor have this in common: The LORD is the maker of them all.

Haven't I written to you thirty excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

If you do not have means to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?

Do not move the ancient boundary stone, which your fathers have set up.

The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up, and lose your good words.

so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul; if you have found it, then there will be a reward, your hope will not be cut off.

for it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen.

Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.

A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

The poor man and the oppressor have this in common: The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.

He who pampers his servant from youth will have him become a son in the end.

"Surely I am the most ignorant man, and do not have a man's understanding.

I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

"Two things I have asked of you; do not deny me before I die:

"So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, 'I have done nothing wrong.'

The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

"If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.

The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

I said to myself, "Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge."

For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory for ever, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool.

Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, apart from him?

I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity.

Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn't have another to lift him up.

Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:

All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise cursed others.

All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be wise;" but it was far from me.

Behold, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another, to find out the scheme;