CHAP. XXXI. ΤΗ HE words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. 2 What, my fon? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the fon of my Vows? 3 Give not thy ftrength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes ftrong drink: 5. Left they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afAicted. 6 Give ftrong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that be of heavy hearts. 7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his mifery no more. 8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all fuch as are appointed to deftruction. 9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. 10 ¶ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. fo that he fhall have no need of fpoil. 12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13 She feeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant fhips; the bringeth her food from afar. 15 She rifeth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her houfhold, and a portion to her maidens. 16 She confidereth a field and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands the planteth a vineyard. 17 She girdeth her loins with ftrength, and strengtheneth her arms. 18 She perceiveth that her merchandife is good: her candle goeth not out by night. 19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the diftaff. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, fhe reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of the fnow for her houfhold: for all her houfhold are clothed with scarlet. 22 She maketh herself co 11 The heart of her huf-verings of tapestry; her band doth fafely truft in her, clothing is filk and purple. Dd 23 Her 23 Her husband is known in the gates when he fittteth among the elders of the land. 24 She maketh fine linen, and felleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. 25 Strength and honour are her clothing: and the fhall rejoice in time to come. 26 She openeth her mouth with wifdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindnefs. 27 She looketh well to the ways of her houfhold, and eateth not the bread of idle ECCLESIASTES; or, The PREACHER. СНАР. І. HE words of the Preacher, the fon of David, king of Jerufalem. 2 Vanity of vanities, faith the Preacher, vanity of vanities all is vanity. 3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the fun? about unto the north it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the fea; yet the fea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again. 8 All things are full of labour: man cannot utter it. 4¶One generation paffeth the eye is not fatisfied with away, and another generation feeing, nor the ear filled with cometh but the earth abid-hearing. eth for ever. 5 The fun alfo arifeth, and the fun goeth down, and hafteth to his place where he arofe. 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which fhall be done : and there is no new thing un 6 The wind goeth to-der the fun. ward the fouth, and turneth 10 Is there any thing wherent whereof it may be faid, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time which was before us..9.1999 - Ku perceived that this alfo is 18 For in much wisdom is V11 There is no remem-creaseth knowledge increafbrance of former thingseth forrow. 14 neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after CHAP. II. Said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove theen 124 I the Preacher was with mirth, therefore enjoy king over Ifrael in Jerufa pleasure and behold, this al lem: look so onfo in vanity, nism sida. 13 And gave my heart to feek and fearch out by wildom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this fore travail hath God given to the fons of man to be exercised therewith. 14I have seen all the works that are done under the fun, and behold, all is vanity and vexation of fpirit. 15 That which is croked, cannot be made ftraight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. 16 I communed with mine own heart, faying, Lo, am come to great eftate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerufalem yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I 2 I faid of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 93 I fought in mine heart to give myfelf unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wifdom, and to lay hold on folly, till I might fee what was that good for the fons of men, which they fhould do under the heaven all the days of their life. 4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth that were in Jerufalem before | are in his head; but the fool me: walketh in darkness: and I. 8 I gathered me alfo filver myfelf perceived also that one and gold, and the peculiar event happeneth to them all, .. treafure of kings and of the 15 Then faid I in my provinces: I gat me men-heart, As it happeneth to the fingers, and women-fingers, and the delights of the fons of men, as musical inftruments, and that of all forts. 9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerufalem: also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatsoever mine eyes defired, I kept not from them: I with-held not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour and this was my por tion of all my labour. II Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of fpirit, and there was no profit under the fun. 12 ¶ And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madnefs, and folly; for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. 13 Then I faw that wifdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. 14 The wife man's eyes fool, fo it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wife? then I faid in my heart that this also is vanity, 16 For there is no remembrance of the wife more than of the fool for ever; feeing that which now is, in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wife man? as the fool. 17 17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the fun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 Yea, I hated all my ¶ labour which I had taken under the fun: because I should leave it unto the man that fhall be after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he fhall be a wife man or a fool? yet fhall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wife under the fun. This is alfo vanity. 20 Therefore I went about to caufe my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun. ven: 21 For there is a man every purpose under the heawhofe labour is in wifdom, and in knowledge, and in equity: yet to a man that hath not laboured therein fhall he leave it for his portion. This alfo is vanity, and a great evil. 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance ; 22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vex-up; ation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the fun? 23 For all his days are forrows, and his travail grief: yea, his heart taketh not reft in the night. This is alfo vanity. 24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he fhould eat and drink, and that he fhould make his foul enjoy good in his labour. This alfo I faw, that it was from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat, or who else can haften hereunto more than I? 26 For God giveth to a man that is good in his fight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the finner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This alfo is vanity and vexation of spirit. 5 A time to caft away ftones, and a time to gather ftones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to caft away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to few; a time to keep filence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. 9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? 10 I have seen the travail which God hath given to the fons of men to be exercifed in it. II He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: alfo he hath fet. world in their heart, fo that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beDd3 ginning |