through an idle housewife, and through a handmaiden that is heir to her mistress.

The spider laboureth with her hands, and that in the kings' palace.

There be three things that go stiffly, but the going of the fourth is the goodliest of all.

A cock ready to fight; A ram; and a king that goeth forth with his people.

Who so churneth milk, maketh butter; he that rubbeth his nose, maketh it bleed; and he that causeth wrath, bringeth forth strife.

These are the words of king Lemuel, and the Prophecy that his mother taught him.

Give strong drink unto such as are condemned to death, and wine unto those that mourn:

that they may drink it, and forget their misery and adversity.

With thy mouth defend the thing that is lawful and right, and the cause of the poor and helpless.

Whoso findeth a honest faithful woman, she is much more worth than pearls.

The heart of her husband may safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoils.

She is like the merchants' ship, that bringeth her victuals from afar.

And if she perceiveth that her housewifery doth good, her candle goeth not out by night.

She feareth not that the cold of winter shall hurt her house, for all her household folks are double clothed.

Many daughters there be that gather riches together, but thou goest above them all.

Favour is a deceitful thing, and beauty is vanity; but a woman that feareth God, she shall be praised.

For what else hath a man, of all the labor that he taketh under the Sun?

The Sun ariseth, the sun goeth down, and returneth to his place, that he may there rise up again.

All things are so hard, that no man can express them. The eye is not satisfied with sight; the ear is not filled with hearing.

The thing that hath been, cometh to pass again; and the thing that hath been done, again is done - there is nothing new under the Sun.

Is there anything, whereof it may be said, "Lo, this is new?" For it was long ago in the times that have been before us.

The thing that is past, is out of remembrance; Even so the things that are for to come, shall no more be thought upon among them that come after.

applied my mind to seek out and search for the knowledge of all things that are done under heaven. Such travail and labor hath God given to the children of men, to exercise themselves therein.

Thus I have considered all the things that come to pass under the Sun, and lo, they are all but vanity and vexation of mind.

I communed with mine own heart, saying, "Lo, I am come to a great estate, and have gotten more wisdom, than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem." Yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge,

for thereunto I applied my mind: that I might know what were wisdom and understanding, what were error and foolishness. And I perceived that this also was but a vexation of mind:

Then said I thus in my heart, "Now go to, I will take mine ease and have good days." But lo, that was vanity also:

insomuch that I said unto laughter, "Thou art mad," and to mirth, "What doest thou?"

So I thought in my heart, to withdraw my flesh from wine, to apply my mind unto wisdom, and to comprehend foolishness until the time that among all the things which are under the Sun, I might see what were best for men to do, so long as they live under heaven.

I bought servants and maidens, and had a great household. As for cattle and sheep, I had more substance of them than all they that were before me in Jerusalem.

Shortly, I was greater and in more worship, than all my predecessors in Jerusalem. For wisdom remained with me:

And look whatsoever mine eyes desired, I let them have it: and wherein soever my heart delighted, or had any pleasure, I withheld it not from it. Thus my heart rejoiced in all that I did, and this I took for the portion of all my travail.

But when I considered all the works that my hands had wrought, and all the labours that I had taken therein: Lo, all was vanity and vexation of mind, and nothing of any value under the Sun.

Then turned I me to consider wisdom, error and foolishness: for what is he among men, that might be compared to me the king in such work?

And I saw that wisdom excelleth foolishness, as far as light doth darkness.

For a wise man beareth his eyes about in his head, but the fool goeth in the darkness. I perceived also that they both had one end.

Then thought I in my mind, "If it happeneth unto the fool as it doth unto me, what needeth me then to labour any more for wisdom?" So I confessed within my heart, that this also was but vanity.

Thus began I to be weary of my life, in so much that I could away with nothing that is done under the Sun, for all was but vanity and vexation of mind:

Yea, I was weary of all my labour, which I had taken under the Sun, because I should be fain to leave them unto another man, that cometh after me.

Forsomuch as a man should weary himself with wisdom, with understanding and opportunity, and yet be fain to leave his labours unto another, that never sweat for them. This is also a vain thing and a great misery.

For what getteth a man of all the labor and travail of his mind, that he taketh under the Sun,

but heaviness, sorrow and disquietness all the days of his life? Insomuch that his heart cannot rest in the night. Is not this also a vain thing?

Is it not better then for a man to eat and drink, and his soul to be merry in his labour? Yea I saw that this also was a gift of God:

For who will eat or go more lustily to his work than I?

He giveth unto man, what it pleaseth him; whether it be wisdom, understanding, or gladness. But unto the sinner he giveth weariness and sorrow, that he may gather and heap together the thing, that afterward shall be given unto him whom it pleaseth God. This is now a vain thing, yea a very disquietness and vexation of mind.

Every thing hath a time; yea, all that is under the heaven, hath his convenient season.

There is a time to be born, and a time to die. There is a time to plant, and a time to pluck up the thing, that is planted;

What else hath a man that doth anything, but weariness and labour?

For as touching the travail and carefulness which God hath given unto men, I see that he hath given it them, to be exercised in it.

All this hath he ordained marvelous goodly, to every thing his due time. He hath planted ignorance also in the hearts of men, that they should not find out the ground of his works, which he doth from the beginning to the end.

So I perceived, that in these things there is nothing better for a man, then to be merry and to do well so long as he liveth.

For all that a man eateth and drinketh, yea whatsoever a man enjoyeth of all his labor, the same is a gift of God.

I considered also that whatsoever God doth, it continueth forever, and that nothing can be put unto it, nor taken from it: And that God doth it to the intent that men should fear him.

The thing that hath been, is now; and the thing that is for to come, hath been afore time: for God restoreth again the thing that was past.

For it happeneth unto men as it doth unto beasts, and as the one dieth, so dieth the other. Yea, they have both one manner of breath, so that - in this - a man hath no preeminence above a beast, but all are subdued unto vanity.

Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the breath of the beast that goeth down into the earth?

Wherefore I perceive, that there is nothing better for a man, than to be joyful in his labour, for that is his portion. But who will bring him to see the thing that shall come after him?

So I turned me, and considered all the violent wrong that is done under the Sun, and beheld the tears of such as were oppressed; and there was no man to comfort them or that would deliver and defend them from the violence of their oppressors.

Wherefore I judged those that are dead, to be more happy than such as be alive.

Yea, him that is yet unborn to be better at ease than they both, because he seeth not the miserable works that are done under the Sun.

Again, I saw that all travail and diligence of labour was hated of every man. This is also a vain thing, and a vexation of mind.

"One handful," sayeth he, "is better with rest, than both the hands full with labor and travail."

Therefore two are better than one, for they may well enjoy the profit of their labour.

If one of them fall, his companion helpeth him up again: But woe is him that is alone, for if he fall, he hath not another to help him up.

A poor child being wise, is better than an old king that doteth, and cannot beware in time to come.

And I perceived, that all men living under the Sun, go with the second child, that cometh up in the stead of the other.

As for the people that have been before him, and that come after him, they are innumerable: yet is not their joy the greater through him. This is also a vain thing and a vexation of mind. (v17) When thou comest into the house of God, keep thy foot and draw nigh, that thou mayest hear: that is better than the offerings of fools, for they know not what evil they do

If thou promise anything, pay it; for better it is that thou make no vow than that thou shouldest promise, and not pay.

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh for to sin, neither say thou before the angel that it is thy ignorance. For then God will be angry at thy voice, and destroy all the works of thine hands.

And why? Whereas are many dreams and many words, there are also divers vanities: but look that thou fear God.

If thou seest the poor to be oppressed and wrongfully dealt withal, so that equity and the right of the law is wrested in the land: marvel not thou at such judgment, for one great man keepeth touch with another, and the mighty help themselves together.

The whole land also with the fields and all that is therein, is in subjection and bondage unto the king.

He that loveth money, will never be satisfied with money: and whoso delighteth in riches, shall have no profit thereof. Is not this also a vain thing?

Whereas many riches are, there are many also that spend them away. And what pleasure more hath he that possesseth them, saving that he may look upon them with his eyes?

A labouring man sleepeth sweetly, whether it be little or much that he eateth; but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

Yet is there a sore plague, which I have seen under the sun: namely, riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession.

This is a miserable plague, that he shall go away even as he came. What helpeth him then, that he hath labored in the wind?

Therefore me think it a better and fairer thing, a man to eat and drink, and to be refreshed of all his labour that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life which God giveth him: for this is his portion.

When God giveth a man riches, goods and honour, so that he wanteth nothing of all that his heart can desire, and yet God giveth him not leave to enjoy the same, but another man spendeth them. This is a vain thing and a miserable plague.

If a man beget a hundredth children, and live many years, so that his days are many in number, and yet cannot enjoy his good, neither be buried: as for him I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

All the labour that man taketh is for himself, and yet his desire is never filled after his mind.

For what hath the wise more than the fool? What helpeth it the poor, that he knoweth to walk before the living?

The sight of the eyes is better, then that the soul should so depart away. Howbeit, this is also a vain thing and a disquietness of mind.

The thing that hath been is named already, and known - that it is man himself: neither may he go to law with him that is mightier than he.

Many things there be that increase vanity, and what hath a man else?

A good name is more worth than a precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.

It is better to go into a house of mourning, than into a banquet house: For there is the end of all men, and he that is living taketh it to heart.

It is better to be sorry than to laugh, for when the countenance is heavy the heart is joyful.

It is better to give ear to the chastening of a wise man, than to hear the song of fools.

For the laughing of fools is like the crackling of thorns under a pot. And that is but a vain thing.

The end of a thing is better than the beginning. The patient of spirit is better than the high minded.

Say not thou, "What is the cause that the days of the old time were better than they that be now?" For that were no wise question.

Wisdom is better than riches; yea, much more worth than the eyesight.

For wisdom defendeth as well as money, and the excellent knowledge and wisdom giveth life to him that have it in possession.

Consider the work of God, how that no man can make the thing straight, which he maketh crooked.

Use well the time of prosperity and remember the time of misfortune: For God maketh one by the other, so that a man can find nothing else.

These two things also have I considered in the time of vanity: that the just man perisheth for his righteousness' sake, and the ungodly liveth in his wickedness.

Therefore be thou neither too righteous nor over wise, that thou perish not:

It is good for thee to take hold of this, and not to let that go out of thy hand. For he that feareth God shall escape them all.

Wisdom giveth more courage unto the wise, than ten mighty men of the city.