538 Kings to be respected. ECCLESIASTES. The work of God unfearchable. hold of this; yea allo, from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God fhall come forth of them all. 19 Wisdom ftrengtheneth the wife more than ten mighty men which are in the city. 20 For there is not a juft man upon earth, that doeth good, and finneth not. 21 Alfo take no heed unto all words that are spoken; left thou hear thy fervant curfe thee: 22 For oftentimes alfo thine own heart knoweth that thou thyfelf likewife haft curfed others 8 There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the fpirit; neither hath be power in the day of death: and there is no difcharge in that war; neither fhall wickedness deliver thofe that are given to it. 9 All this have I feen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the fun: there is a time wherein one man ruleth over another to his own hurt. 10 And fo I faw the wicked buried, who had come and gone from the place of the holy, and they were forgotten in 23 All this have I proved by wif-the city where they had so done": this is dom I faid, I will be wife; but it was alfo vanity. far from me. 11 Because sentence against an evil 24 That which is far off, and exceed-work is not executed fpeedily, therefore ing deep, Who can find it out? the heart of the fons of men is fully fet in them to do evil. 23 I applied mine heart to know, and to fearch, and to feek out wisdom and the reafon of things, and to know the wickednefs of folly, even of foolishnefs and maduefs : 26 And I find more bitter than death the woman whofe heart is fnares and nets, and her hands as bands: whofo pleafeth God fhall efcape from her; but the finner fhall be taken by her. 27 Behold, this have I found, faith the Preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account : 28 Which yet my foul feeketh, but find not : one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all thofe have I not found. 9 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made nian upright; but they have fought out many inventions. CHAP. VIII. 2 Kings are greatly to be respected. 6 The divine providence is to be observed. 12 It is better with the godly in adverfity, than with the wicked in profperity. 16 The work of God is unfearchable. WHO is as the wife man? and, Who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wildom maketh his face to fhine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. 2 I counfel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. 3 Be not hafty to go out of his fight ftand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleafeth him. Where the word of a king is, there is power and, Who may fay unto him, What doeft thou? 5 Whofo keepeth the commandment fhall feel no evil thing: and a wife man's heart difcerneth both time and judg ment. 6 Becaufe to every purpofe there is time and judgment, therefore the mifery of man is great upon him. 7 For he knoweth not that which shall be : for, Who can tell him when it fhall be 12 Though a finner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet furely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: 13 But it fhall not be well with the wicked, neither (hall he prolong bis days, which are as a fhadow; 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 faid that this alfo is vanity. 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the fun, than to eat and to drink, and to be merry: for that thall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the fun. 16 When I applied mine heart to know wifdom, and to fee the bufinefs that is done upon the earth: (for alfo there is that neither day nor night feeth fleep with his eyes :) 17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the fun : because though a man labour to feek it out, yet he thall not find it; yea farther; though a wife man think to know it, yet fhall he not be able to find it. CHAP. IX. 1 Like things bappen 10 good and bad, ▲ There is a neceffity of death unto men. 7 Comfort is all their portion in this life. 11 God's providence ruleth over all, 15 Wifdom is better than firength. FOR all this I confidered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wife, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. 2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; God's providence ruletb over all. Chap. x. Objervations on wisdom, &c. 539 wicked; to the good and to the clean, quiet more than the cry of him that ruland to the unclean; to him that facrificeth among fools. eth, and to him that facrificeth not as is the good, so is the sinner ; and he that fweareth, as be that feareth an oath. : 18 Wildom is better than weapons of war: but one finner destroyeth much good. СНАР. Х. 1 Obfervations on wisdom and folly. 16 Of riot, 18 flotbfulness, 19 and money, 20 Men's thoughts of kings ought to be reverent. DEAD flies caufe the ointment of the apothecary to fend forth a thinking fayour fo dorb a little folly him that is in reputation fer wifdom and honour. A wife man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart is at his left. 3 Yea alfo, when he that is a fool walk 5 For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward;eth by the way, his wifdom faileth him, for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Alfo 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 fun. 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 lovett all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the fun, all the days of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takeft under the fun. 10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wildom, in the grave, whither thou goest. 11 I returned, and faw under the fun, that the race is not to the fwift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wife, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of kul; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 13 For man alo knoweth not his time : as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the fnare; fo are the fons of inen fnared in an evil time, when it falleth fuddenly upon them. 13 This wisdom have I seen alfo under the fun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and befieged it, and built great bulwarks againft it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wife man, and he by his wifdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that fame poor man. 16 Then faid I, Wifdom is better than ftrength: nevertheless, the poor man's wifdoms defpifed, and his words are not heard. and he faith to every one that he is a fool. 4 If the spirit of the ruler rife up again't thee. leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have feen under the fun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler. 6 Folly is fet in great dignity, and the rich fit in low place. 7 I have feen fervants upon horfes, and princes walkingas fervants upon the earth. 8 He that diggerh a pit thall fall into it; and whofo breaketh an hedge, a ferpent fhall bite him. 9 Whofo removeth ftones fhall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood fhall be endangered thereby. 10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then muft he put to more ftrength: but wfdom is profitable to direct. 11 Surely the ferpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. 12 The words of a wife man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will fwallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mifchievous madnefs. 14 A fool alfo is full of words; a man cannot tell what shall be; and what thall 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! 17 Bleffed art thou, O lan 1, when thy king is the fon of nobles, and thy princes eat in due feafon, for ftrength, and not for drunkennefs! 18 By much flothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the houfe droppeth through. 19 A feaft is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money anfwereth all things. 20 Curfe not the king, no not in thy 17 The words of wife men are heard in thought; and curfe not the rich in thy bedchamber: 510 Directions for charity. SOLOMON's SONG. The Creator to be remembered. bedchamber for a bird of the air fhall when thou fhalt fay, I have no pleasure carry the voice, and that which hath in them; wings hall tell the matter. CHAP. XI. 1 Directions for charity. 7 Death in life, 2 Give a portion to feven, and alfo to eight for thou knoweft not what evil fhall 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 fouth, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 4 He that obferveth the wind shall not fow; and he that regardeth the clouds fhall not reap. 5 As thou knoweft not what is the way of the fpirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even fo thou knoweft not the works of God who maketh all. 2 While the fun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3 In the day when the keepers of the houfe hall tremble, and the itrong men fhall bow themselves, and the grinders ceafe because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened. 4 And the doors fhall be shut in the ftreets, when the found of the grinding is low, and he shall rite up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of mufick shall be brought low; 5 Alfo when they shall be afraid of that which is ligh, and fears ball be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grafshopper fhall be a burden, and defire hall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the ftreets: 6 Or ever the filver cord be loofed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the ciftern. 6 In the morning fow thy feed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: 7 Then fhall the duft return to the for thou knoweft not whether shall prof-earth as it was: and the fpirit shall return per, either this or that, or whether they unto God who gave it. both ball be alike good. 8 Vanity of vanities, faith the preach 9 And moreover, because the preacher was wife, he ftill taught the people 7 Truly the light is feet, and aer; all is vanity. pleafant thing it is for the eyes to behold the fun : 8 But if a man live many years, and knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, rejoice in them all; yet let him remem- and fought out, and fet in order many ber the days of darkness; for they fhall proverbs. 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 fight of thine eyes but know thou that for all thefe things God will bring thee into judgment. : 10 Therefore, remove forrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh for childhood and youth are vanity. CHAP. XII. 10 The preacher fought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. 11 The words of the wife are as goads, and as nails fattened by the matters of affemblies, which are given from one shepherd. 12 And further, by thefe, my fon, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much fudy is a weariness of the fleth. 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 1 The Creator is to be remembered in due time. 8 The preacher's care to edify. 13 The fear of God is the duty of man. REMEMBER now thy Creator in the 14 For God hall bring every work into days of thy youth, while the evil days judgment, with every fecret thing, whethcome not, nor the years draw nigh, er i be good, or whether it be evil. THE SONG OF SOLOMON. CHAP. I. S Becaufe of the favour of thy good 1 The church's love unto Clrift. 5 She ointments, thy name is as ointment confefleth her deformity. 7 and prayeib poured forth, therefore do the virgins to be directed 10 bis flock, &c. love thee. THE fong of fongs, which is Solomon's. 2 Let him kifs me with the kiffes of his mouth for thy love is better than wine. 4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambeis; we will be glad and rejoice in thee, We The church's confeffion. Chap. ii. iii. Chrift's care of the church. 541 8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, kipping upon the hills. we will remember thy love more than wine the upright love thee. : 5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerufalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, becaufe I am black, because the fun 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. 7 Tell me, O thou whom my foul loveth, where thou feedeft, where thou makeft thy flock to rest at noon; for, Why fhould I be as one that turneth afide by the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou faireft among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids befide the thepherd's tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold. il We will make thee borders of gold with ftuds of filver. 12 While the king fitter at his table, my fpikenard fendeth forth the fmell thereof. 9 My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he ftandeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, fhewing himself through the lattice. 10 My beloved fpake, and faid unto me, Rife 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 finging 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. Arife, my love, my fair one, and come away. 14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the fecret places of the ftairs, let me fee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for fweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. 15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines bave tender grapes. 16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feedeth among the lilies. 17 Until the day break, and the fhad 13 A bundle of myrrh is my well be-ows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be loved unto me; he shall lie all night be- thou like a roe or a young hart upon the twixt my breasts. mountains of Bether. 14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. 15 Behold, thou ar: fair my love; behold thou art fair; thou baft doves' eyes. 16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleafant: alfo our bed is green. 17 The beams of our houfe are cedar, and our rafters of fir. CHAP. II. 1 The mutual love of Chrift and his church. 8 The bope, 10 and calling of the church. 14 Chrift's care of the church. 16 The profeffion of the church, ber faith and bope. I AM the role of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. 2 As the lily among thorns, fo is my love among the daughters. the fons. CHAP. III. 1 The church's fight and victory in temptation. 6 The church glorieth in Chrift. BY night on my bed I fought him whom my foul loveth: I fought him, but I found him not. 2 I will rife now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will feek him whom my foul loveth: I fought him, but I found him not. 3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: 10 whom Ijaid, Saw ye him whom my foul loveth? 4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my foul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's houfe, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. $ As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, fo is my beloved among 5 I charge you, O ye daughters of JeI fat down under his fhadow rufalem, by the roes, and by the hinds with great delight, and his fruit was of he field, that ye flir not up, nor awake fweet to my taste. 4 He brought me to the banqueting houfe, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am fick of love. 6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 7 charge you, O ye daughters of Jerufalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye ftir not up, nor awake y love, ull he pleafe. my love, till he please. 6 Who is this that cometh out of the wildernefs like pillars of fmoke, perfumed with myrrh and trankincenfe, with all powders of the merchant? 7 Behold, his bed, which is Solomon's: threefcore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Ifrael. 8 They all hold fwords, being expert in war every man bath his fword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. 512 Cbrift's love to the church. SOLOMON's SONG. A description of Cbrißt. 9 King Solomon made himself a char- 15 A fountain of gardens, a well of liv iot of the wood of Lebanon. ing waters, and ftreams from Lebanon. 10 He made the pillars thereof of fil- 16 Awake, O north wind; and ver, the bottom thereof of gold, the cov-come, thou fouth; blow upon my garering of it of purple, the midft thereof den, that the spices thereof may How being paved with love, for the daughters out. Let my beloved come into his garof Jerufalem. den, and eat his pleafant fruits. 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 efpoufals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart. CHAP. IV. 1 Chrift fetteth forth the graces of the church. 8 He beweth his love to ber. 16 The church prayeth 10 be made fit for bis prefence. BEHOLD thou art fair, my love; be. hold thou art fair; thou haft dove's 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 beep that are even thorn, which came up from the wathing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. 8 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy fpeech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armory, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. 5 Thy two breafts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. 6 Until the day break, and the fhadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincenfe. 7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no fpot in thee. 8 Come with me from Lebanon, my fpoufe, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lion's dens, from the mountains of the leopards. 9 Thou haft ravished my heart, my fifter, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. 10 How fair is thy love, my fifter, my fpoufe! How much better is thy love than wine and the fmell of thine ointments than all fpices! CHAP. V. Chrift awaketh the church with his call. ing. 2 The church having a tafle of Chrift's love, is fick of love. 9 Å deƒcription of Chrift by his graces. I AM come into my garden, my fifter, my fpoule I have gathered my myrrh with my fpice: I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: Eat,O friends: drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 2 I fleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, Jaying, Open to me, my filter, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 31 have put off my coat; How fhall I put it on? I have washed my feet; How thall I defile them? My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowe's were moved for him. 51 rofe up to open to my beloved, and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with fweet fmelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himfelf, and was gone: my foul failed when he fpake: I tought him, but I could not find him; I cailed him, but he gave me no answer. 7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they fnote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 81 charge you, O daughters of Jerufalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am fick of love. 9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, Ó thou fairest among women What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dok fo charge us? 10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefelt among ten thoufand. 11 His head is as the most fine gold, 11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the his locks are bushy,and black as a raven. honeycomb honey and milk are under 12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by thy tongue; and the fmell of thy gar-the rivers of waters, washed with milk, ments is like the fmell of Lebanon. and fitly fet. 12 A garden inclosed is my fifter, my 13 His cheeks are as a bed of fpices, fpoufe; a fpring shut up,a fountain fealed. as fweet flowers: his lips like lilies, drop138 Thy plants are an orchard of peme-ping tweet smelling myrch. granates, with pleasant fruits; camphire 14 His hands are as gold rings fet with with fpikenard, the beryl his belly is as bright ivery overlaid with fapphires. 14 Spikenard and faffron, calamus and cinnanion, with all trees of frankincenfe; myrrh and alces, with all the chieffpices: 15 His legs are as pillars of marble, fet upon fockets of fine gold; his coun tenance |