My substance was not hid from thee, - when I was made in secret, when I was skilfully figured in the lower parts of the earth.

Mine unfinished substance, thine eyes beheld, and, in thy book, all the parts thereof were written, - the days they should be fashioned! while yet there was not one among them.

When my spirit fainted concerning myself, then, thou, didst take note of my path, - In the course which I was about to take, they had hidden a snare for me.

Soon was I in all evil, in the midst of convocation and assembly.

When there was no resounding deep, I had been brought forth, when there were no fountains, abounding with water;

When he prepared the heavens, there, was I! When he decreed a vault upon the face of the resounding deep;

Exulting in the fruitful land of his earth, Yea, my fulness of delight, was with the sons of men.

So, is a man who deceiveth his neighbour, and saith, Was not, I, in sport?

The words of Lemuel the king, - the strain which was taught him by his mother: -

Is there a thing, of which it can be said, See here, it is, new? Already, hath it been, for ages, it is something which was before us.

I, the Proclaimer, was king over Israel, in Jerusalem.

I saw all the works which were done under the sun, - and lo! all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Said, I, in my heart, Come now! I will prove thee with gladness, and look thou on blessedness, - but lo! even that, was vanity.

I sought out with my heart, to cherish with wine, my flesh, - but, my heart, was to guide with wisdom, even in laying hold of folly, until I should see which was blessedness for the sons of men, as to that which they could do, under the heavens, during the number of the days of their life.

and, nothing that mine eyes asked, withheld I from them, - I did not keep back my heart from any gladness, for, my heart, obtained gladness out of all my toil, and so, this, was my portion, out of all my toil.

When, I, looked upon all my works, which my hands had made, and on my toil, whereon I had toilsomely wrought, then lo! all, was vanity, and feeding on wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

Therefore I hated life, for, a vexation unto me, was the work which was done under the sun, - for, all, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Therefore hated, I, all my toil, wherein I was toiling, under the sun, - in that I should leave it for the man who should come after me;

and who could know whether a, wise man, he would be or a foolish, and yet he would lord it over all my toil, wherein I had toiled and wherein I had acted wisely, under the sun, - even this, was vanity.

For here is a man, whose toil hath been with wisdom and with knowledge and with skill, - yet, to a man who hath not toiled therein, shall he leave it as his portion, even this, was vanity and a great vexation.

For, all his days, are pains, and, vexatious, is his employment, even in the night, his heart lieth not down, - even this, was, vanity.

There was nothing more blessed for Man than that he should eat and drink, and see his desireth for blessedness in his toil, - even this, saw, I myself, that, from the hand of God, it was.

For, to a man who is good before him, hath he given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, - whereas, to the sinner, he hath given employment, to gather and heap up, to give to one who is good before God, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

That which was, already, had been, and, that which shall be, already, shall have been, - but, God, seeketh that which hath been chased away.

Then, again, I saw under the sun, the place of justice, that there was lawlessness, and, the place of righteousness, that there was lawlessness.

Said, I, in my heart, as concerning the sons of men, That God was minded to prove them, - and that they might see, that they were beasts, of themselves.

So I saw, that there was nothing better than that a man should be glad in his works, for, that, is his portion, - for who can bring him in, to look upon that which shall be after him?

and, as better than both, him who had not yet come into being, - who had not seen the vexatious work, which was done under the sun.

Then saw, I, all the toil and all the skill of the work, that, for this, a man was envied of his neighbour, - even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Here is one, without a second, even son or brother, he hath none, yet is there no end to all his toil, even his eye, is not satisfied with riches, - neither saith he For whom, am I toiling, and letting my soul want good? Even this, was vanity, yea a vexatious employment, it was!

For, out of prison, came he forth to reign, yea, even in his own kingdom, was he born poor.

I saw all the living, who were going hither and thither under the sun, - that they were with the boy who was to be the second, who was to stand in the other's place: -

There was no end to all the people, to all before whom he came, yet, they who should come later, would not rejoice in him, - surely, even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, - neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, - wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

For it was done amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words, - but, towards God, be thou reverent.

He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, - -even this, was vanity.

Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

Here was an evil, I had seen under the sun, - and it is, common, among men:

A man to whom God giveth riches and gains and honour, so that nothing doth he lack for his soul - of all that he craveth, and yet God doth not give him power to eat thereof, but, a man unknown, eateth it, - this, was vanity, and, an incurable evil, it was.

Better what the eyes behold, than the wandering of desire, - even this, was vanity, and a feeding on wind.

Whatsoever one may be, long ago, was he called by his name, and it is known that it is - Son of Earth, - he cannot, therefore, contend with one stronger than he.

For, as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so, is the laughter of the dullard, - even this, then, was vanity.

Everything, had I seen, in my days of vanity, - Here was a righteous man, perishing in his righteousness, and there was a lawless man, continuing long in his wickedness.

All this, have I proved by wisdom, - I said, I will be wise, but, that, was far from me.

All this, had I seen, and tried to apply my heart to every work which was done under the sun, - at such time as one man had power over another man, to his hurt.

And, thereupon, I considered the lawless when buried, when they had entered, their graves , that, from the place of the Holy One, they used to go and boast in the city that they had so done, - even this, was vanity.

Here was a vain thing which was done upon the earth - that there were righteous men unto whom it happened according to the work of the lawless, and there were lawless men, unto whom it happened according to the work of the righteous, - I said, that, even this, was vanity.

Then extolled I, gladness, in that there was nothing better for a man, under the sun, than to eat and to drink, and to be glad, - since, that, should tarry with him in his toil, for the days of his life which God had given him under the sun.

When I gave my heart, to know wisdom, and to consider the business that was done upon the earth, then surely, by day and by night, there was one who suffered not his eyes, to sleep.

Then I considered all the work of God, that man could not find out the work that was done under the sun, inasmuch as man toileth in seeking and yet cannot find, - yea, even though the wise man should say he knoweth, yet can he not find it out.

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.

Every one, was like every one else, one destiny, had the righteous and the lawless, the good and the pure and the impure, and he that sacrificed, and he that did not sacrifice, - as the good man, so, the sinner, he that took an oath, as he who, of an oath, stood in fear.

This was a misfortune in all that was done under the sun, that, one destiny, had they all, - yea also, the heart of the sons of men, was full of wickedness, and, madness, was in their heart, while they lived, and, after that, they went unto the dead.

For, whosoever was united to all the living, for him, there was hope, - -inasmuch as, a living dog, fared better than a dead lion.

For, the living, knew that they should die, - -but, the dead, knew not, anything, neither had they any longer a reward, because forgotten was their memory.

Both their love and their hatred and their envy, already had perished, - and, portion, had they none any longer, unto times age-abiding, in aught that was done under the sun.

I again saw under the sun, that not, to the swift, was the race, nor, to the strong, the battle, nay! nor, to the wise, food, nor yet, to the intelligent, riches, nor, even to the well-informed, comeliness, - for, time and accident, happened to them all.

Even this, had I seen of wisdom, under the sun, - and, of great import, was the same unto me: -

but there was found therein, a man, poor but wise, and, he, delivered the city by his wisdom, - yet, no one, remembered that poor man.

Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, - a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:

And the dust return to the earth, as it was, - and, the spirit, return unto God, who gave it.

SHEAs an apple-tree among the trees of the forest, So, is my beloved, among the sons: In his shade, I greatly delighted and sat down, And, his fruit, was sweet to my taste.

SHEI, was sleeping, but, my heart, was awake, - The voice of my beloved - knocking! Open to me, my sister, my fair one, my dove, my perfect one, for, my head, is filled with dew, my locks, with the moisture of the night.

One alone, is my dove, my perfect one, one alone, was she to her mother, Pure, was she to her that bare her, - The daughters, have seen her, and pronounced her happy, Queens and concubines, and they have praised her.

I know not how it was , my soul, set for me the chariots of my willing people!

THEYWho is this, coming up out of the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? HEUnder the apple-tree, I roused thee, where thy mother, was in pain with thee, where she was in pain who gave thee birth!

SHEI, was a wall, and, my breasts, like towers, - Then, became I, in his eyes, one who did indeed find good content.

A vineyard, had Solomon, as the owner of abundance, He put out the vineyard to keepers, - Every man, was to bring in, for the fruit thereof, a thousand silverlings:

Wash you make you clean, Put away the wickedness of your doings from before mine eyes, - Cease to do evil.

How hath she become unchaste! - The city that was Faithful, - Full of justice, Righteousness lodged in her, But, now, murderers!

When My Lord shall have bathed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, And the blood-guiltiness of Jerusalem, he shall wash away out of her midst, - By the spirit of judgment, and By the spirit of thorough cleansing,

And the foundations of the porch, were moved at the voice of him that cried, - and the house, was filled with smoke.

And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria hath settled down upon Ephraim. Then shook his heart, and the heart of his people, as the trees of a forest shake before a wind.

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.

So shall there be a highway for the remnant of his people who shall be left out of Assyria, - Like as it was to Israel, in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt!

Yea the pine-trees, make mirth at thee, Cedars of Lebanon, Since thou wast laid low, No feller hath come up against us!

The oracle on Moab: Because, in a night, was laid waste Ar of Moab - destroyed! Because, in a night, was laid waste Kir of Moab - destroyed,

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!

In that day, - Declareth Yahweh of hosts Shall the peg, give way, that was fastened in a sure place, - Yea it shall be cut off and fall And the burden that was upon it shall perish, For, Yahweh, hath spoken!

Yea on mighty waters, was the grain of Shihor, The harvest of the Nile, was her increase, - And so she became a mart of nations.

Lo! the land of the Chaldeans, This is the people that was not, Assyria, founded it for the inhabitants of the desert, - They set up its siege-towers, They demolished its palaces Made it a ruin!

For thou didst become A refuge to the weak. A refuge to the needy, when distress was upon him, - A shelter from the storm. A shade from the heat, When the blast of tyrants was like a storm against a wall.

Surely in the path of thy regulations, O Yahweh, we waited for thee, - Unto thy Name and unto thy Memorial, was there a longing of soul:

O Yahweh! in distress, they sought thee, - They poured out a whispered prayer, when thy chastening was upon them.

Was it, with the smiting of his smiter, that he smote him? Or as with the slaying of his slayer, was he slain?

Who bring a man into condemnation with a rumour, And for him that decideth in the gate, lay a snare, - And have driven away, for a thing of nought, one who was righteous.

And there went out to him - Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, - and Shebna, the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder.

But they held their peace, and answered him not a word, - for the command of the king, it was, saying, - Ye must not answer him.

Then came in - Eliakim son of Hilkiah who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the recorder, unto Hezekiah, with rent clothes, - and they told him the words of Rabshakeh.

and sent Eliakim who was over the household and Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, - unto Isaiah the prophet, Son of Amoz;

And it came to pass, as he was bowing down in the house of Nisroch his god, that, Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons, smote him with the sword, howbeit, they, escaped into the land of Ararat, - and, Esarhaddon his son, reigned, in his stead.

In those days, was Hezekiah sick, unto death, - and Isaiah the prophet son of Amoz came in unto him, and said unto him - Thus, saith Yahweh, Set in order thy house, for, about to die thou art and shalt not recover.

Yahweh, was willing to save me, - Therefore, on my stringed instruments, will we play - All the days of our life By the house of Yahweh.

And Hezekiah, rejoiced over them, and showed them his house of precious things - the silver and the gold and the spices and the precious ointment and all his armoury - and all that was found among his treasures, - there was nothing, which Hezekiah, did not show them - in his house or in all his dominion.

Thus will I lead the blind, by a way they know not, In paths they know not, will I guide them, - I will make the place that was dark before them to be, light. And crooked ways, to be, straight, These things, have I done unto them, And have not forsaken them.

Who gave, as a booty, Jacob. And, Israel, to them who were ready to take prey? Was it not Yahweh I? He against whom we have sinned, And they were not willing, in his ways, to walk, Neither hearkened they to his instruction?

Ye, are my witnesses Declareth Yahweh, And my Servant, whom I have chosen, - That ye may take note - and believe me, And perceive that, I, am He, Before me, was not formed a GOD, Nor after me, shall one come into being:

When one was cutting him down cedars, Then took he a holm-tree and an oak, And secured them for himself, among the trees of the forest, - He planted a fir-tree and the pouring rain made it grow;

Tell ye - and bring near, Yea let them take counsel, together, - Who let this be known aforetime. In time past, declared it? Was it not, I - Yahweh? And there is none else that is God besides me, A GOD, righteous and ready to save, There is none, besides me!

Because I knew that - Obstinate, thou wast, - And, a sinew of iron, was thy neck, And thy brow, brazen,