The Bible
Chapter 137 : 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy

29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

29:19 A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.

29:20 Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

29:21 He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.

29:22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

29:24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

29:26 Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.

29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

30:1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, 30:2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

30:3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? 30:5 Every word of G.o.d is pure: he is a s.h.i.+eld unto them that put their trust in him.

30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

30:7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 30:8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 30:9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my G.o.d in vain.

30:10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

30:13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

30:14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

30:15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: 30:16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

30:17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

30:18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: 30:19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a s.h.i.+p in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

30:20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

30:21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: 30:22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; 30:23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

30:24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 30:26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; 30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

30:29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: 30:30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; 30:31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

30:32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

30:33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth b.u.t.ter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

31:1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

31:2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? 31:3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: 31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

31:6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

31:7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

31:8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

31:9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

31:11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

31:13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

31:14 She is like the merchants' s.h.i.+ps; she bringeth her food from afar.

31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

31:16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

31:17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

31:18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

31:20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

31:22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

31:23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

31:24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

31:25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

31:27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

31:28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

31:29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

31:31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Ecclesiastes or The Preacher 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

1:3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? 1:4 One generation pa.s.seth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

1:6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

1:7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

1:8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

1:10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

1:11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath G.o.d given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to 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.

1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

2:1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

2:2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 2:3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

2:4 I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards: 2:5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits: 2:6 I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees: 2:7 I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me: 2:8 I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.

2:9 So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.

2:10 And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

2:11 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 spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

2:12 And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

2:13 Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

2:14 The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

2:15 Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

2:16 For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten.

And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.

2:17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

2:18 Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.

2:19 And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

2:20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

2:21 For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

2:22 For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? 2:23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

2:24 There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of G.o.d.

2:25 For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I? 2:26 For G.o.d giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before G.o.d. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 3:5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 3:6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 3:7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

3:9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? 3:10 I have seen the travail, which G.o.d hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

3:11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that G.o.d maketh from the beginning to the end.

3:12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

3:13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of G.o.d.