In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

It is well that thou shouldst lay fast hold of this, but, even from the other, do not withdraw thy hand, - for, he that revereth God, shall come forth out of them all.

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

And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Who is really a wise man, and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? The wisdom of a man, lighteth up his countenance, but, by defiance of countenance, one is disfigured.

Whoso keepeth the commandment, shall feel no harm: but a wise man's heart discerneth time and manner.

So then, I have seen the wicked buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place [but did not thereby escape their doom], and they are [praised in spite of their evil and] soon forgotten in the city where they did such things. This too is futility (vanity, emptiness).

But though an evil person offend a hundredth times, and have a long life: yet am I sure, that it shall go well with them that fear God, because they have him before their eyes.

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

And I praised joy, because there is no good to man under the sun but to eat and to drink, and to rejoice: for this shall lodge with him in his labor the days of his life which God gave to him under the sun.

But all this I have laid unto my heart, so as to clear up the whole of this, that the righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God, neither love nor hatred doth man know, the whole is before them.

But to him who is joined unto all the living there is confidence, for to a living dog it is better than to the 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.

Use thy self to live joyfully with thy wife whom thou lovest, all the days of thy life which is but vanity, that God hath given thee under the Sun; all the days of thy vanity. For that is thy portion in this life, of all thy labor and travail that thou takest under the Sun.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

For man knoweth not his time, but like as the fish are taken with the angle and as the birds are caught with the snare: Even so are men taken in the perilous time, when it cometh suddenly upon them.

and there was found in it a poor wise man, who by his wisdom delivered the city; but no man remembered that poor man.

Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength; but the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

folly is set in great dignities, but the rich sit in a low place.

I have seen slaves on horses,
but princes walking on the ground like slaves.

But he that diggeth up a pit, shall fall therein himself; and whoso breaketh down the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness.

Woe be unto thee, O thou realm and land, whose king is but a child, and whose princes are early at their banquets.

But well is thee, O thou realm and land, whose king is come of nobles, and whose princes eat in due season, for strength and not for lust.

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

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

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

Put away displeasure out of thine heart, and remove evil from thy body: for childhood and youth is but vanity.

Remember [thoughtfully] also your Creator in the days of your youth [for you are not your own, but His], before the evil days come or the years draw near when you will say [of physical pleasures], “I have no enjoyment and delight in them”;

All is but vanity - sayeth the preacher - all is but plain vanity.

Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught knowledge to the people; he carefully evaluated and arranged many proverbs.

The Preacher made search for words which were pleasing, but his writing was in words upright and true.

But beyond this my son, [about going further than the words given by one Shepherd], be warned: the writing of many books is endless [so do not believe everything you read], and excessive study and devotion to books is wearying to the body.

“Draw me away with you and let us run together!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.”

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

(The Bridegroom)
“Like the lily among the thorns,
So are you, my darling, among the maidens.”

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

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 sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

“I had taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I had washed my feet,
How could I get them dirty again?

But when my love put in his hand at the hole, my heart was moved within 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.

(The Bridegroom)
“You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling,
As lovely as Jerusalem,
As majestic as an army with banners!

My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

I did not know, but my soul set me on the chariots of my princely people.

(The Chorus)
“Return, return, O Shulammite;
Return, return, that we may gaze at you.”

Our sister is but young, and hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister when she shall be spoken for?

“If she is a wall (discreet, womanly),
We will build on her a turret (dowry) of silver;
But if she is a door (bold, flirtatious),
We will enclose her with planks of cedar.”

“My very own vineyard is at my disposal;
The thousand [shekels of silver] are for you, O Solomon,
And two hundred are for those who tend the fruit.”

You who sit in the gardens, companions are listening for your voice, but let me hear it.

Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;
For the Lord has spoken:
“I have reared and brought up sons,
But they have rebelled against Me and have broken away.

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.

From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

The Daughter of Zion (Jerusalem) is left like a [deserted] shelter in a vineyard,
Like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city [isolated, surrounded by devastation].

Do not bring any more meaningless offerings; I consider your incense detestable! You observe new moon festivals, Sabbaths, and convocations, but I cannot tolerate sin-stained celebrations!

But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

But Zion shall be redeemed with equity, and they shall turn again unto her in righteousness.

But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed.

But it shall come to pass, in the afterpart of the days, That the mountain of the house of Yahweh Shall be, set up, as the head of the mountains, And be exalted above the hills, - And all the nations, shall stream thereunto;

But thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they go far beyond the east countries in Sorcerers - who they have as the Philistines had - and in calkers of men's births, whereof they have too many.

So the common man has been humbled
And the man of importance has been abased,
But do not forgive them.

But the idols will completely vanish.

Cease ye from the son of earth, In whose nostrils is but a breath, - For wherein to be reckoned upon, is he?

"But at that time, he'll protest! He'll say, "I won't be your healer. I have neither food nor clothing in my house! You're not going to make me a leader of the people!'

But woe be unto the ungodly and unrighteous, for they shall be rewarded after their works.

Yahweh, into judgment, will enter, With the elders of his people And their princes, - But ye, have consumed the vineyard, That which hath been robbed from the oppressed, is in your houses.

Seven women will grab hold of one man at that time. They will say, "We will provide our own food, we will provide our own clothes; but let us belong to you -- take away our shame!"

And he dug it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine; and he built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes.

What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it? Who knows? I looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded rotten grapes.

And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Cursed are those who are joining house to house, and putting field to field, till there is no more living-space for any but themselves in all the land!

For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.

And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.

But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

Who justify the wicked and acquit the guilty for a bribe,
And take away the rights of those who are in the right!

Therefore, as the tongue of fire consumes the stubble [from straw]
And the dry grass collapses into the flame,
So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away like fine dust;
Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts
And despised and discarded the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

But then one of the seraphs flew toward me. In his hand was a hot coal he had taken from the altar with tongs.

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

But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

and say unto him, 'Take heed to thyself and be still, but fear not, neither be fainthearted for these two tails: that is, for these two smoking firebrands, the wrath and furiousness of Rezin the Syrian and Remaliah's son.

"But this is what the Lord GOD has to say: ""It won't take place. It won't ever happen.

For the head city of the Syrians is Damascus, but the head of Damascus is Rezin. And after five and threescore years, shall Ephraim be no more a people.

And the chief city of Ephraim is Samaria, but the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. And if ye believe not, there shall no promise be kept with you.'"

But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

And it will be in that day that in every place where before there were a thousand vines valued at a thousand shekels of silver, there will be nothing but blackberries and thorns.

"People will come there armed with bows and arrows, because the entire land will be nothing but briers and thorns.

And on all hills that shall be digged with the mattock, there shall not come thither the fear of briers and thorns: but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of lesser cattle.