For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.

He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.

The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

{A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.} O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.

The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Salmon.

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.

They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards.

Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;

Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee.

A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.

Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,

I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook.

And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;

They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,

And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.

For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.

When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them.

For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:

Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD.

Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.

And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed.

And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.

The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.

What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word.

{A Song of degrees of David.} I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

{A Song of degrees of David.} If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;

If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

{Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.} I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water.

Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:

Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him;

They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

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

There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

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.

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.

Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard unto keepers; every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.