Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; and he that guardeth his master shall be honoured.

The fining-pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; so let a man be to the mouth that praiseth him.

They that forsake the law praise the wicked; but such as keep the law contend with them.

Evil men understand not judgment; but they that seek Jehovah understand everything.

Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse, double in ways, though he be rich.

Whoso observeth the law is a son that hath understanding; but he that is a companion of profligates bringeth shame to his father.

He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance gathereth it for him that is gracious to the poor.

He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.

A rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.

He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.

Happy is the man that feareth always; but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil.

The prince void of intelligence is also a great oppressor: he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

Whoso walketh in integrity shall be saved; but he that is perverted in his double ways, shall fall in one of them.

He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread; but he that followeth the worthless shall have poverty enough.

A faithful man aboundeth with blessings; but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

He that hath an evil eye hasteth after wealth, and knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him.

He that rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.

He that is puffed up in soul exciteth contention; but he that relieth upon Jehovah shall be made fat.

He that confideth in his own heart is a fool; but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; but he that withdraweth his eyes shall have many a curse.

He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and without remedy.

Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father; but he that is a companion of harlots destroyeth his substance.

A king by just judgment establisheth the land; but he that taketh gifts overthroweth it.

A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his steps.

A king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

Where there is no vision the people cast off restraint; but happy is he that keepeth the law.

Hast thou seen a man hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child, shall in the end have him as a son.

An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; and he that is of upright way is an abomination to the wicked man.

Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

Every word of +God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;

there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;

The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

There are three things too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:

Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul:

Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all those that are left desolate.

She perceiveth that her earning is good; her lamp goeth not out by night.

Gracefulness is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.

That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which will be done: and there is nothing new under the sun.

There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be remembrance of things that are to come with those who shall live afterwards.

And I applied my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the heavens: this grievous occupation hath God given to the children of men to weary themselves therewith.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have become great and have acquired wisdom more than all they that have been before me over Jerusalem; and my heart hath seen much of wisdom and knowledge.

And I applied my heart to the knowledge of wisdom, and to the knowledge of madness and folly: I perceived that this also is a striving after the wind.

For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

I searched in my heart how to cherish my flesh with wine, while practising my heart with wisdom; and how to lay hold on folly, till I should see what was that good for the children of men which they should do under the heavens all the days of their life.

I acquired servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that had been in Jerusalem before me.

And I became great, and increased more than all that had been before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that it had cost me to do them; and behold, all was vanity and pursuit of the wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly; for what shall the man do that cometh after the king? that which hath already been done.

And I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as light excelleth darkness.

The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness; but I myself also perceived that one event happeneth to them all.

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

For there shall be no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; because everything is already forgotten in the days which come. And how dieth the wise even as the fool?

And I hated life; for the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

And I hated all my labour wherewith I had been toiling under the sun, because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

For there is a man whose labour hath been with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skill, and who leaveth it to a man that hath not laboured therein, to be his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

There is nothing good for man, but 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.

For who can eat, or who be eager, more than I?

For he giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he giveth travail to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good in God's sight. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

What profit hath he that worketh from that wherein he laboureth?

I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of men to toil in.

He hath made everything beautiful in its time; also he hath set the world in their heart, so that man findeth not out from the beginning to the end the work that God doeth.

I know that there is nothing good for them but to rejoice and to do well in their life;

yea also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labour, it is the gift of God.

I know that whatever God doeth, it shall be for ever; there is nothing to be added to it, nor anything to be taken from it; and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

That which is was long ago, and that which is to be hath already been; and God bringeth back again that which is past.

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

I said in my heart, It is thus with the children of men, that God may prove them, and that they should see that they themselves are but beasts.

And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

And I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors was power, and they had no comforter.

Then I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive;

and more fortunate than both is he who hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

And I saw all labour, and all success of work, that it is man's jealousy of his neighbour. This also is vanity and pursuit of the wind.

Better is a handful with quietness, than both hands full with labour and pursuit of the wind.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and who hath not another to lift him up!

Better is a poor but wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth no more how to be admonished.

I saw all the living that walk under the sun, with the child, the second, that should stand up in his stead.

There is no end of all the people, of all that stood before them; those however that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after the wind.

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding of them with his eyes?

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

Behold what I have seen good and comely: it is to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith man laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is frequent among men:

one to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and a sore evil.

If a man beget a hundred sons, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, but his soul be not filled with good, and also he have no burial, I say an untimely birth is better than he.

moreover it hath not seen nor known the sun: this hath rest rather than the other.