1

2

the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for

all these things God will bring thee into judge10 ment. Therefore remove 'sorrow from thy 1 Or, vexation heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for Or,

provocation 12 1 youth and 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 2 pleasure in them; or ever the sun, and the light,

and the moon, and the stars, be darkened, and 3 the clouds return after the rain : in 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 ? Or, grinding 4 that look out of the windows be darkened, and women

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 5 daughters of music shall be brought low; yea,

they shall be afraid 'of that which is high, and "Or, of danger
terrors shall be in the way; and the almond from on high
tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall Or, shall
be a burden, and the caper-berry shall fail : along

drag itself because man goeth to his long home, and the 3 Or, desire 6 mourners go about the streets: or ever the Or, burst silver cord be 'loosed, or the golden

the golden bowl ? Or, snapped be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the asunder

fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern ; 7 and the dust return to the earth as it was,

and the spirit return unto God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea,

he spondered, and sought out, and set in Or, gave ear 10 order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find out 'acceptable words, and that which Heb. words

of delight. was written uprightly, even words of truth.

3

7

9

9

be warned

The words of the wise are as goads, and as ir 1 Or, collectors nails well fastened are the words of the 'masof sentences

ters of assemblies, which are given from one ? Or, And as shepherd. ?And furthermore, my son, be ad- 12

, for more than monished : of making many books there is no

,

end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

* This is the end of the matter; all hath been 13 clusion of the heard : fear God, and keep his commandments; for “this is the whole duty of man.

For God 14 the duty of all shall bring every work into judgement, 'with

every hidden thing, whether it be good or concerning

3

Or, Let us hear the con

whole matter 4 Or, this is

men

THE SONG OF SONGS.

1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.

3

1 Or, maidens

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth :

For thy love is better than wine.
Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance;
Thy name is as ointment poured forth;

Therefore do the 'virgins love thee. 4

Draw me; we will run after thee :
The king hath brought me into his chambers:
We will be glad and rejoice in thee,
We will make mention of thy love more than

of wine :
Rightly do they love thee.

2

? Or, in uprightness

5 I am black, but comely,

O ye daughters of Jerusalem,
As the tents of Kedar,

As the curtains of Solomon.
6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy,

Because the sun hath scorched me.
My mother's sons were incensed against me,
They made me keeper of the vineyards ;
But mine own vineyard have I not kept.
7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth,
Where thou feedest thy flock, where thou makest

1 Most ancient For why should I be as one that 'is veiled versions have, Beside the flocks of thy companions ?

wandereth.

If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, 8
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock,
And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

9

3

IO

2 Or, my friend I have compared thee, O my love, (and so

3 To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. throughout) Or, To the Thy cheeks are comely with plaits of hair,

Thy neck with strings of jewels.
Or, To my

We will make thee plaits of gold
With studs of silver.

steeds

steed

II

I 2

While the king sat at his table,

My spikenard sent forth its fragrance. 4 Or, bag My beloved is unto me as a “bundle of myrrh, 13

That lieth betwixt my breasts.
5 Heb.copher. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of 'henna- 14

flowers
In the vineyards of En-gedi.

doves' eyes

8

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art 15

fair; 6 Or, Thou hast Thine eyes are as doves.

Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: 16

Also our couch is green. 7 Or, houses The beams of our house are 8 cedars,

17 Or, of cedar And our rafters are 'firs. ...of fir I am a rose of Sharon,

I 2 9 Or, cypresses 10 Heb.

A lily of the valleys. habazzeleth,

As a lily among thorns,
il Or, the So is my love among the daughters.
plain

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, 3
So is my beloved among the sons.

10

11

the autumn crocus.

2

1 . I .

? I sat down under his shadow with great delight, Heb, 1 de

lighted and sat And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

down &c. 4 He brought me to the banqueting house,

2 Heb. And his banner over me was love.

house of wine. 5 Stay ye me with 'raisins, comfort me with apples: 3 Heb. cakes

3

of raisins. For I am sick of love. 6 *His left hand is under

my
head,

4 Or, Let his

left hand be And his right hand doth embrace me.

&c. 7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

By the 'roes, and by the hinds of the field, 5 Or, gazelles That

ye stir not up, nor awaken love, Until it please.

Or, gazelle

7 Or, glanceth through

8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the

hills.
9 My beloved is like a froe or a young hart:

Behold, he standeth behind our wall,
He looketh in at the windows,

He 'sheweth 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 ripeneth her green figs,

And the vines are in blossom,
They give forth their fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

,
14 O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock,

in the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy

voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is

comely

8 Or, pruning of vines