A commendation of wisdom.

B. C. about 977.

/ ch. 8. 14.

m Prov. 25.16. n Rom. 12. 3 + Heb.be desolate?

o Job 15. 32. Ps. 55. 23. Prov. 10, 27. + Heb. not in thy time?

p Prov. 21. 22. & 24. 5. ch. 9. 16, 18. 71 Kin. 8. 46. 2 Chr. 6. 36. Prov. 20. 9. Rom. 3. 23. 1 John 1. 8. + Heb. give not thine heart.

r Rom. 1. 22.

# Job 28.12.20.

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

14 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.

15 All things have I seen in the days of my vanity there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.

16 Be not righteous over much, "neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou + destroy thyself?

17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die + before thy time?

18 It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

19 P Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. 21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

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

me.

24 That which is far off, and texceeding 1 Tim, 6. 16. deep, who can find it out?

25I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and mad

ness:

26 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 ber.

27 Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account;

28 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.

α

29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have Gen. 3, 6, 7. sought out many inventions.

CHAPTER VIII.

Obedience to rulers enjoined. 6 Man's misery from not knowing the future. 9 An evil work sure to be punished. 12 The end of the righteous

Obedience to rulers enjoined.

a a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.

2 I counsel thee to keep the king's com mandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.

3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

4 Where the word of a king is, there is power and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

5 Whoo keepeth the commandment + shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

B. C. about 977.

a Prov. 4.8, 9. & 17. 24. See Acts 6. 15.

+ Heb. the strength. ¿Dent. 28, 50.

el Chr. 29.24. Ez. 17. 18. Rom. 13. 5.

d ch. 10. 4.

e Job 31. 18.

6 Because to every purpose there is time Heb. shall know. and judgment, therefore the misery of man fch. 3. 1. is great upon him.

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

8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death and there is no "discharge in that war; neither shall wickedness deliver those that are given to it.

9 All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt.

10 And so I saw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in the city where they had so done. This is also vanity. 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Prov. 24. 22. ch. 6. 12. & 9. 12. & 10. 14.

Or, how it shall be?

h Pa. 49, 6, 7. i Job 14. 5.

Or, casting off weapons.

k Ps. 10. 6. & 50. 21. Is. 26. 10.

12 Though a sinner do evil a hundred Is. 65, 20. times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:

13 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.

14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it "happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth: for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his

End of worldly enjoyments.

either love or hatred by all that is before them.

26 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wick ed; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not as is the good, so is the sinner; and be that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.

3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

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

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

6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.

7 Go thy way, "eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.

9+ Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: f for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun.

10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

11 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.

12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes 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 falleth suddenly upon them.

13 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me:

14 kThere was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it.

15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless "the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.

17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.

18" Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. CHAPTER X.

Folly set in great dignity.

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

3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, this wisdom faileth him, "and he saith to every one that he is a fool. 4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth + from the ruler:

6 d Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

10 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. 11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and ta babbler is no better. 12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but i the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of this talk is mischievous madness.

14 A fool also tis full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

B. C. about 977.

+ Heb, his heart.

a Prov. 13. 16. & 18. 2.

b ch. 8. 3. 1 Sam. 25.24, &c.

Ρτον. 25. 15. + Heb. from before. d Esth. 3. 1.

+ Heb. in great heights.

• Prov. 19. 10. & 30. 22. Ps. 7. 15. Ρτον. 26. 27.

Pa. 58. 4, 5. Jer. 8. 17. + Heh, the master of the tongue.

h Prov, 10, 32. & 12. 13.

+ Heb. grace. i Prov. 10. 14. & 18. 7.

+ Heb. his mouth.

k Prov. 15. 2. ↑ Heb. multiplieth words.

/ ch. 3. 22 & 6. 12. & 8. 7.

m Is. 3. 4,5, 12. & 5. 11.

17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and "thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for Prov. 31. 4. drunkenness !

18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

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

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

2 Give a portion d to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the

o Ps. 104. 15. + Heb, maketh glad the life. p Ex. 22. 28.

Acts 23. 5.

[ Or, conscience,

a See Is, 32. 20.

+ Heb. upon the face of the waters. b Deut. 15. 10. Prov. 19. 17. Matt. 10. 42. 2 Cor. 9. 8. Gal. 6, 9, 10. Heb. 6. 10. e Ps. 112. 9. Luke 6. 30. 1 Tim. 6. 18. 19.

d Mic. 5. 5. e Eph. 5. 16. fJohn 3. 8. Ps. 139. 14, 15.

The bride's despondency.

B. C. about 1014.

d ver. 17.

+ Heb. Aourishing.

e ver. 13.

f ver. 10.

g ch. 8. 13.

sion.

a Is. 26. 9.

6 ch. 5. 7.

e ch. 2.7.& 8. 4.

d ch. 8. 5.

Or, a bed.

66 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till she please.

8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

9d My beloved is like a roe or a young

hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, † shewing himself through the lattice.

10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come

away.

11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; 13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

14 0 my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.

17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Y night on my bed I sought him whom found him not.

2 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.

36 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

4 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.

5 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till she please.

6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all pow

ders of the merchant?

7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

8 They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

The graces of the bride.

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the glad. ness of his heart.

CHAPTER IV.

The beloved setteth forth the graces of the bride. 8 His love for her. 16 Her desire for his presence. BEHOLD, thou art fair, my love; be

hold, thou art fair; thou hast doves" eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. 2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

B. C. about 1014.

5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day † break, and the shadows away, I will get me to the mountain of h ch. 2. 17. myrrh, and to the bill of frankincense. + Heb. breathe. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir kand Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

i Eph. 5. 27.

k Deut. 3. 9.

Or, taken

away my heart.

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than ch. 1. 2. wine and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is "like the smell of Lebanon.

12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. 13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

"AM come into my garden, my sister, a ch. 4. 16. my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh

with my spice; I have eaten my honey-bch. 4. 11. comb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: cat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." 2I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved dthat 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 d Rev. 3. 20. the night.

e Luke 15. 7, 10. John 3. 29. & 15. 14. Or, and be drunken with loves.

The beloved's graces.

B. C. about 1014.

Or, (as some read,) in me.

+ Heb. passing, or, running about.

e ch. 3. 1.

fch. 3. 3.

+ Heb. what.

g ch. 1. 8.

† Heb. His palate.

a ch. 1. 8.

b ch. 2. 16. & 7. 10.

c ver. 10.

fch. 4. 3.

3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought hini, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

Graces of the bride.

10 Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, 9 and terrible as an army with banners? 11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and h to see whether the vine flourished, and the pome-+ granates budded.

12 t Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

CHAPTER VII.

tation to the beloved.

[OW beautiful are thy feet with shoes,

B. C. about 1014.

g ver. 4.
h ch. 7. 12.
Heb. I knew

not.
Or, set me on
the chariota
of my will
ing people.
Or, of Ma-
hanaim.

Gen. 32. 2.

my vail from me.

8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

11 His head is as the most fine gold: his locks are busby, and black as a raven: 12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set:

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh:

14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires:

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars:

16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. CHAPTER VI.

The bride's confidence in the beloved. 4 He setteth forth her graces, 10 and his love for her.

WHITHER is thy beloved gone, a 0 thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.

2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3 61 am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.

4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is das a flock of goats that appear from Gilead:

6 Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

9 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.

5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, Or, crimson. and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries. † Heb. bound.

6 How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!

7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples; 9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

The delight of the bride and her beloved in each other. 6 Love strong as death. desire in behalf of her sister, 14 She longeth for the coming of her beloved.

Of the the rearts of my mother when

H that thou wert as my brother, that

I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; yea, I should not be despised.

2 I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, who would instruct me: I would cause thee to drink of a spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

6. 3.

Ps. 45. 11. fch. 6. 11. + Heb. open.

9 Gen. 30. 14. Matt, 13.52.