men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance 12 happeneth to them all. 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, leven so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.

13) I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed 14 great unto me: there was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks 15 against it 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 the wise spoken in quiet are heard more than the cry of 18 him that ruleth among fools. °Wis

dom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good. 10*1°Dead flies cause the ointment of the 'perfumer to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly out2 weigh wisdom and honour. A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but 3 a fool's heart at his left. Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his understanding' faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a 4 fool. If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding allayeth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6° folly is set in great 'dignity, and the 7 rich sit in low place. 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 through a Ifence', a serpent shall bite him. 9°Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth 10 wood 'is' endangered thereby. If the iron be blunt, and 'one' do not whet

the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to (11 direct. If the serpent bite 10before it be charmed, then is there' no 12 advantage in the charmer1. °The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will 13 swallow up himself. "The begin

ning of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the end of 12his talk is 14 mischievous madness. A fool also Imultiplieth words: yet man 'knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell 15 him? The labour of 'fools' wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth 16 not how to go to the city. "Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a 18child, and thy princes eat in the 17 morning! Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness ! (18 By slothfulness the 15 roof sinketh

in; and through idleness of the hands 19 the house leaketh. A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh 'glad the life and money answereth all 20 things. 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

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matter.

16Cast thy bread 17upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. 2018 Give a portion to seven, Iyea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not 3) what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if la tree fall 19toward the south, or 19 toward the north, in the place where the tree 4 falleth, there shall it be. °He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the 201wind', nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who 'doeth' 6 all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not which'

5

undone

12 Heb. his mouth.

shall prosper, 'whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike 1 good. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to 8 behold the sun. Yeal, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; 2but! let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

9

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 *10) into judgement. Therefore remove

sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for youth and 12 1'the prime of life! are vanity. Re

member also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, or ever the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in 2 them; lor ever the sun, and the light, 'and' the moon, land' the stars, be darkened, 'and' the clouds return 3 after the rain: oin the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out 4 of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the 'street'; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of *5 music shall be brought low; lyea!, they shall be afraid of that which is

high, and 'terrors' shall be in the way; and the almond tree shall 'blossom', and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and the caper-berry shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: 6 or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or (7 the wheel broken at the cistern; land! the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who 8 gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

nor; 2 while

17 Or, Imaidens

12

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

come away.

Who is this that cometh up' out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,

With all powders of the merchant? Behold, it is the litter of Solomon'; Threescore mighty men are about it,

Of the 'mighty men of Israel. They all handle the sword, and arel expert in war:

Every man hath his sword upon his thigh,

Because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a "palanquin'

Of the wood of Lebanon.

He made the pillars thereof of silver, The bottom thereof of gold, the Iseat of it of purple,

The midst thereof being paved with love,

From the daughters of Jerusalem. Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon, With the crown wherewith his mother hath crowned him in the day of his espousals,

And in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Behold, thou art fair, my love;

behold, thou art fair;

"Thine eyes are as doves behind' thy 101 veil:

Thy hair is as a flock of goats,
That lie along the side of1 mount
Gilead.

3

To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

It was but a little that I passed from them,

12I was asleep', but my heart Iwaked':

It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,

Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my 18undefiled:

For my head is filled with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?

I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door,

And my heart was moved 15for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved;
And my hands dropped with myrrh,
And my fingers with liquid' myrrh,
Upon the handles of the bolt"."
I opened to my beloved;

But my beloved had 16withdrawn himself, and was gone.

My soul 17 had failed me' when he spake:

I sought him, but I could not find him;

I called him, but he gave me no

answer.

The watchmen that 'go' about the city found me,

They smote me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls took away my 18mantle from me.

8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved,

Or, la paradise

11 Or, lof lovel

10 Or, balsam↓