He that by usury and unjust gain increases his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

To show partiality is not good: because for a piece of bread that man will transgress.

A man that flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understands he will not answer.

See you a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope for a fool than for him.

The fear of man brings a snare: but whosoever puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food needful for me:

The leach has two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that says not, It is enough.

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

For three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

For a servant when he reigns; and a fool when he is filled with food;

For an unloved woman when she is married; and a maidservant that is heir to her mistress.

There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

There are three things which are stately in stride, yea, four are stately in their walk:

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:

Open your mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all who are left desolate.

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.

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

I gathered for myself also silver and gold, and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces: I got men singers and women singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all sorts.

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

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can a man do that comes after the king? even that which has been already done.

Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool forever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how does the wise man die? as the fool.

Therefore I hated life; because the work that is done under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and like grasping the wind.

For there is a man whose labor is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that has not labored in it shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For what has man for all his labor, and for the striving of his heart, with which he has labored under the sun?

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart takes not rest in the night. This is also 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 labor. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.

For who can eat, or who else can have enjoyment, more than I?

For God gives to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he gives the work of gathering and heaping up, only that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping of the wind.

I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

I know that, whatsoever God does, it shall be forever: nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before him.

I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.

For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; the same thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast: for all is vanity.

Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his lot: for who can bring him to see what shall be after him?

Again, I considered all toil, and every skillful work, that for this a man is envied by his neighbor. This is also vanity and grasping after the wind.

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with toil and grasping for the wind.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he has neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labor; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither says he, For whom do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a heavy travail.

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 that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up.

For out of prison he comes to reign; yet he that is born in his kingdom might become poor.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.

For a dream comes through much business; and a fool's voice is known by a multitude of words.

When you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also many vanities: but you fear God.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for the high official is watched by a higher one; and there are yet higher ones over them.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served from the field.

And this also is a great evil, that just as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and fitting for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for this is his lot.

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

A man to whom God has given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wants nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eats it: this is vanity, and it is an evil affliction.

For he comes in with vanity, and departs in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

For what has the wise more than the fool? what has the poor, who knows to walk before the living?

For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.

Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.

Be not hasty in your spirit to be angry: for anger rests in the bosom of fools.

Say you not, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for you do not inquire wisely concerning this.

For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellence of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.

Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he has made crooked?

It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this withhold not your hand: for he that fears God shall come forth of them all.

For there is not a just man upon earth, that does good, and sins not.

For oftentimes also your own heart knows that you yourself likewise have cursed others.

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

That which is far off, and exceedingly deep, who can find it out?

I counsel you to keep the king's commandment, and that for the sake of your oath to God.

Be not hasty to go out of his presence: stand not for an evil thing; for he does whatsoever pleases him.

For he knows not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?

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

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

When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: (for also there is one who neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes:)

For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knows either love or hatred by all that is before them.

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

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Go your way, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God now accepts your works.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of the life of your vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity: for that is your portion in this life, and in your labor which you perform under the sun.

Whatsoever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you go.

For man also knows not his time: as the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.

Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a foul odor: so does a little folly to him that is respected for wisdom and honor.

If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, leave not your post; for yielding pacifies great offences.

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry: but money answers all things.

Curse not the king, no not even in your thought; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.

Cast your bread upon the waters: for you shall find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for you know not what evil shall be upon the earth.

In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening withhold not your hand: for you know not which shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both alike shall be good.

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

But if a man lives many years, and rejoices in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth; and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes: but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

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