I discovered this: More bitter than death is the kind of woman who is like a hunter's snare; her heart is like a hunter's net and her hands are like prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is captured by her.

“Behold, I have discovered this,” says the Preacher, “adding one thing to another to find an explanation,

Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

Who is really wise? Who knows how to interpret this saying: "A person's wisdom improves his appearance, softening a harsh countenance."

The word of a king has authority; and who may say to him, What is this you are doing?

For everything will have opportunity and judgment, and this the thing that maketh men full of carefulness and sorrow.

All this have I seen, and have given my heart to all the work which is done under the sun: there is a time when man has power over man for his destruction.

And then I saw evil men put to rest, taken even from the holy place; and they went about and were praised in the town because of what they had done. This again is to no purpose.

Because sentence against a wicked work is not executed speedily - on this account, the heart of the sons of men is fully set within them, to commit wickedness.

There is a thing which is to no purpose done on the earth: that there are good men to whom is given the same punishment as those who are evil, and there are evil men who get the reward of the good. I say that this again is to no purpose.

So I commended pleasure, for there is nothing good for a man under the sun except to eat and to drink and to be merry, and this will stand by him in his toils throughout the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

All this I took to heart, and my heart saw it all: that the upright and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; and men may not be certain if it will be love or hate; all is to no purpose before them.

This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.

Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Again, I observed this on the earth: the race is not always won by the swiftest, the battle is not always won by the strongest; prosperity does not always belong to those who are the wisest, wealth does not always belong to those who are the most discerning, nor does success always come to those with the most knowledge -- for time and chance may overcome them all.

This again I have seen under the sun as wisdom and it seemed great to me.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

Sayings from the wise are like cattle prods and well fastened nails; this masterful collection was given by one shepherd.

And further, my son, take note of this: of the making of books there is no end, and much learning is a weariness to the flesh.

This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

Like the fragrance of thy precious oils, Oil poured out, is thy name, For this cause, virgins love thee.

The voice of my beloved! lo, this -- he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.

My beloved is like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this -- he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.

THEYWho is this, coming up out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, - with perfume of myrrh, and frankincense, besides all the aromatic powder of the merchant?

What is your loved one more than another, O fairest among women? What is your loved one more than another, that you say this to us?

His mouth, most sweet, yea, altogether, he is delightful, - This, is my beloved, yea, this, is my dear one, ye daughters of Jerusalem.

THEYWho is this, that looketh forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the sun, majestic as bannered hosts?

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

and thy throat like the best wine. This shall be pure and clear for my love, his lips and teeth shall have their pleasure.

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, that ye wake not up my love, nor touch her, till she be content herself. What is she, this that cometh up from the wilderness, and leaneth upon her love?

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!

Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; this vineyard delivered he unto the keepers, that every one for the fruit thereof should give him a thousand pieces of silver.

This is the vision that Amoz's son Isaiah had about Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Alas for this sinful nation, which are expert in blasphemies; a seed of ungracious people, corrupt in their ways. They have forsaken the LORD; they have provoked the holy one of Israel unto anger, and are gone backward.

When ye enter to see my face, Who hath required this at your hand trampling my courts?

Ye shall not add to bring gifts of iniquity; incense, this an abomination to me; the new moon and the Sabbath, the calling of the assembly; I shall not be able to bear vanity and restraining.

“Come, let us discuss this,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they will be as white as snow;
though they are as red as crimson,
they will be like wool.

For this reason the Lord, the Lord of armies, the Strong One of Israel, has said, I will put an end to my haters, and send punishment on those who are against me;

And I give back thy judges as at the first, And thy counsellors as in the beginning, After this thou art called, 'A city of righteousness -- a faithful city.'

This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

And the poor man's head is bent, and the great man goes down on his face: for this cause there will be no forgiveness for their sin.

"Note this! The Lord GOD of the Heavenly Armies is taking away from Jerusalem and Judah everything that your society needs all food supplies and all water supplies,

When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father,'saying , Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand;

The Lord brings this charge
against the elders and leaders of His people:
“You have devastated the vineyard.
The plunder from the poor is in your houses.

By what right are you crushing my people, and putting a bitter yoke on the necks of the poor? This is the word of the Lord, the Lord of armies.

And this shall happen: There will be a stench instead of perfume, and a rope instead of a sash, and baldness instead of a well-set hairdo, and a clothing wrap of sackcloth instead of a rich robe, branding instead of beauty.

Then shall seven wives take hold of one man, and say, "We will lay all our meat and clothing together in common, only that we may be called thy wives, and that this shameful reproof may be taken from us."

And this shall happen: He who is left in Zion and he who remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone written for life in Jerusalem,

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.

And now, this is what I will do to my vine-garden: I will take away the circle of thorns round it, and it will be burned up; its wall will be broken down and the beasts of the field will go through it;

The LORD of the Heavenly Armies has declared this so I could hear it: "Surely many houses will become desolate, great and beautiful houses, without occupants.

For this cause my people are taken away as prisoners into strange countries for need of knowledge: and their rulers are wasted for need of food, and their loud-voiced feasters are dry for need of water.

For this cause the underworld has made wide its throat, opening its mouth without limit: and her glory, and the noise of her masses, and her loud-voiced feasters, will go down into it.

But the LORD of Hosts, that holy God: shall be exalted and untouched, when he shall declare his equity and righteousness after this manner.

Which used to speak on this manner: "Let him make haste now, and go forth with his work, that we may see it! Let that counsel of the holy one of Israel come, and draw nigh, that we may know it!"

For this cause, as the waste of the grain is burned up by tongues of fire, and as the dry grass goes down before the flame, so their root will be like the dry stems of grain, and their flower will go up in dust: because they have gone against the law of the Lord of armies, and have given no honour to the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore is the anger of Jehovah kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

They cried also each one to other on this manner: "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of Hosts! The whole world is full of his glory!"

and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven.

After this I heard the voice of the LORD, taking advisement on this manner, "Whom shall I send, and who will be our messenger?" Then I said, "Here am I, send me."

And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.

Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they sea with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.

This took place during the reign of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah king of Judah: Rezin king of Aram, along with Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel, waged war against Jerusalem, but he could not succeed.

Aram, Ephraim, and Remaliah's son have plotted this evil against you:

This is the word of the Lord God: This design will not come about or be effected.

For this cause the Lord himself will give you a sign; a young woman is now with child, and she will give birth to a son, and she will give him the name Immanuel.

Here is why this will be so: Before the child knows how to reject evil and choose what is right, the land whose two kings you fear will be desolate.

And this shall happen: On that day, Yahweh will whistle for the fly that [is] at the end of the stream of Egypt and the bee that [is] in the land of Assyria.

And this shall happen: on that day, a young man will keep a young cow of [the] herd and two sheep alive.

And this shall happen: because of the abundance of milk production, he will eat curds, for every one that is left in the midst of the land will eat curds and honey.

And this shall happen on that day: Every place where there are a thousand vines for a thousand silver [pieces] will become briers, and it will be thornbushes.

And I will get faithful witnesses to attest [to this prophecy] for me, Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.”

After that went I unto the Prophetess, that now had conceived and born a son. Then said the LORD to me, "Give him this name: Mahershalahashbaz.

Forasmuch as this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

For this cause the Lord is sending on them the waters of the River, deep and strong, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it will come up through all its streams, overflowing all its edges:

For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof .

And therefore if they say unto you, "Ask counsel at the soothsayers, witches, charmers and conjurers," then make them this answer: "Is there a people anywhere, that asketh not counsel at his God? Should they run unto the dead for the living?"

To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.

If he do not this, he stumbleth and suffereth hunger. And if he suffer hunger, he is out of patience, and blasphemeth his king and his God. Then looketh he upward, and downward to the earth,

For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.

And the people also of Ephraim, and they that dwell in Samaria, can say with pride and high stomachs, on this manner:

For this cause the Lord has made strong the haters of Israel, driving them on to make war against him;

the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

For this cause the Lord took away from Israel head and tail, high and low, in one day.

For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is profane and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

For this cause shall the wrath of the LORD of Hosts fall upon the land, and the people shall be consumed, as it were with fire: no man shall spare his brother,

Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

They shall only bow down under the prisoners, and shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

But this is not what is in his mind, and this is not his design; but his purpose is destruction, and the cutting off of more and more nations.

"Because this is what he is saying: "My commanders are all kings, are they not?

For this cause it will be that, when the purpose of the Lord against Mount Zion and Jerusalem is complete, I will send punishment on the pride of the heart of the king of Assyria, and on the glory of his uplifted eyes.

For he has said,
“By the power of my hand and by my wisdom I did this,
For I have understanding;
And I removed the boundaries of the peoples
And plundered their treasures,
And like a mighty man I brought down their inhabitants,

For this cause the Lord, the Lord of armies, will make his fat become wasted; and in his inner parts a fire will be lighted like a burning flame.

And this shall happen: on that day, the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will not continue to lean on [the] one who struck it but will lean on Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, in truth.

For this cause the Lord, the Lord of armies, says, O my people living in Zion, have no fear of the Assyrian, even if his rod comes on your back, and his stick is lifted up as in Egypt.

And this shall happen: on that day, he will remove his burden from your shoulder and his yoke from your neck, {and a yoke will be destroyed because of fat}.

This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.