To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

1

15 The 'horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Or, vampire Give, give.

3

There are three things that are never satis

fied,

Yea, four that say not, Enough:

16 The grave; and the barren womb

The earth that is not satisfied with water;
And the fire that saith not, Enough.

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.

18 There be three things which are too wonderful

for me,

Yea, four which I know not:

19 The way of an eagle in the air;

The way of a serpent upon a rock;

The way of a ship in the midst of the sea;
And the way of a man with a maid.

20 So is the way of an adulterous woman ;
She eateth, and wipeth her mouth,

6

And saith, I have done no wickedness.

21 For three things the earth doth tremble, And for four, which it cannot bear :

22 For a servant when he is king;

And a fool when he is filled with meat;

23 For an odious woman when she is married; And an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

24 There be four things which are little upon the earth,

But they are exceeding wise:

25 The ants are a people not strong,

Yet they provide their meat in the summer;

26 The 'conies are but a feeble folk,

2 Or, called

1 Or, thou canst seize

Yet make they their houses in the rocks;
The locusts have no king,

Yet go they forth all of them by bands;
The lizard 'taketh hold with her hands,

with thy hands Yet is she in kings' palaces.

27

28

There be three things which are stately in their 29 march,

Yea, four which are stately in going:

The lion, which is mightiest among beasts,
And turneth not away for any;

The 'greyhound; the he-goat also;

And the king, against whom there is no
rising up.

30

31

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thy- 32 self,

Or if thou hast thought evil,

Lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

For the 'churning of milk bringeth forth butter, 33 And the 'wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood:

So the 'forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

"The words of king Lemuel; the 'oracle 1 31 which his mother taught him.

What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? 2
And what, O son of my vows?

Give not thy strength unto women,

3

Nor thy ways to 'that which destroyeth kings.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings 4
to drink wine;

Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink?
Lest they drink, and forget 'the law,

And pervert the judgement "of any that is
afflicted.

5

10 Heb. of all Give strong drink unto him that is ready to 6

the sons of

affliction.

perish,

And wine unto the bitter in soul:

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

8 Open thy mouth for the dumb,

In the cause of all such as are 'left desolate. 9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously,

1 Or, ready to pass away Heb. the sons

And minister judgement to the poor and needy. of passing

IO A virtuous woman who can find?
For her price is far above 'rubies.

II The heart of her husband trusteth in her,
And he shall have no lack of 'gain.

12 She doeth him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

13

She seeketh wool and flax,

And worketh 'willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchant-ships;

She bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth meat to her household, And their task to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it:

With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength,

And maketh strong her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is profit

able:

Her lamp goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the distaff,

And her 'hands hold the spindle.

20 She spreadeth out her 'hand to the poor;
Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household;
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh for herself 'carpets of tapestry;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

away.

1 Heb.

Canaanite.

Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sitteth among the elders of the land.
She maketh linen garments and selleth them;
And delivereth girdles unto the 'merchant.
Strength and dignity are her clothing;
And she laugheth at the time to come.
She openeth her mouth with wisdom;

23

24

25

26

2 Or, teaching And the 'law of kindness is on her tongue. She looketh well to the ways of her household, 27 And eateth not the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up, and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying:
Many daughters have done virtuously,

28

29

But thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain :

30

But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands;

31

And let her works praise her in the gates.

ECCLESIASTES;

OR, THE PREACHER.

1 I

2

THE words of 'the Preacher, the son of David, 1Or, the king in Jerusalem.

great orator Heb. Koheleth.

2

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity 3 of vanities, all is vanity. What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth 4 under the sun? One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; and the earth 5 abideth for ever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place 6 where he ariseth. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and 7 the wind returneth again to its circuits. All the 'rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; Or, torrents unto the place whither the rivers go, thither 8 they go again. All things are full of weariness; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing. That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under Io the sun. Is there a thing whereof men say, See, this is new? it hath been already, in the I ages which were before us. There is no remembrance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter

*Or,

All words are feeble