Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep;


So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.


These also are proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.


It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.


As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth, So the heart of kings is unsearchable.


Take away the dross from the silver, And there cometh forth a vessel for the refiner:


Take away the wicked from before the king, And his throne shall be established in righteousness.


Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king, And stand not in the place of great men:


For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither, Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince, Whom thine eyes have seen.


Go not forth hastily to strive, Lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, When thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.


Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself, And disclose not the secret of another;


Lest he that heareth it revile thee, And thine infamy turn not away.


A word fitly spoken Is like apples of gold in network of silver.


As an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, So is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.


As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, So is a faithful messenger to them that send him; For he refresheth the soul of his masters.


As clouds and wind without rain, So is he that boasteth himself of his gifts falsely.


By long forbearing is a ruler persuaded, And a soft tongue breaketh the bone.


Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, Lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.


Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor's house, Lest he be weary of thee, and hate thee.


A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor Is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.


Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble Is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.


As one that taketh off a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon soda, So is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.


If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:


For thou wilt heap coals of fire upon his head, And Jehovah will reward thee.


The north wind bringeth forth rain; So doth a backbiting tongue an angry countenance.


It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.


As cold waters to a thirsty soul, So is good news from a far country.


As a troubled fountain, and a corrupted spring, So is a righteous man that giveth way before the wicked.


It is not good to eat much honey; So for men to search out their own glory is grievous.


He whose spirit is without restraint Is like a city that is broken down and without walls.


As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, So honor is not seemly for a fool.


As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.


A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, And a rod for the back of fools.


Answer not a fool according to his folly, Lest thou also be like unto him.


Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own conceit.


He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool Cutteth off his own feet, and drinketh in damage.


The legs of the lame hang loose; So is a parable in the mouth of fools.


As one that bindeth a stone in a sling, So is he that giveth honor to a fool.


As a thorn that goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, So is a parable in the mouth of fools.


As an archer that woundeth all, So is he that hireth a fool and he that hireth them that pass by.


As a dog that returneth to his vomit, So is a fool that repeateth his folly.


Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope of a fool than of him.


The sluggard saith, There is a lion in the way; A lion is in the streets.


As the door turneth upon its hinges, So doth the sluggard upon his bed.


The sluggard burieth his hand in the dish; It wearieth him to bring it again to his mouth.


The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit Than seven men that can render a reason.


He that passeth by, and vexeth himself with strife belonging not to him, Is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.


As a madman who casteth firebrands, Arrows, and death,


So is the man that deceiveth his neighbor, And saith, Am not I in sport?


For lack of wood the fire goeth out; And where there is no whisperer, contention ceaseth.


As coals are to hot embers, and wood to fire, So is a contentious man to inflame strife.


The words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels, And they go down into the innermost parts.


Fervent lips and a wicked heart Are like an earthen vessel overlaid with silver dross.


He that hateth dissembleth with his lips; But he layeth up deceit within him:


When he speaketh fair, believe him not; For there are seven abominations in his heart:


Though his hatred cover itself with guile, His wickedness shall be openly showed before the assembly.


Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; And he that rolleth a stone, it shall return upon him.


A lying tongue hateth those whom it hath wounded; And a flattering mouth worketh ruin.


Boast not thyself of to-morrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.


Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips.


A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's vexation is heavier than they both.


Wrath is cruel, and anger is overwhelming; But who is able to stand before jealousy?


Better is open rebuke Than love that is hidden.


Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are profuse.


The full soul loatheth a honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.


As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place.


Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; So doth the sweetness of a man's friend that cometh of hearty counsel.


Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; And go not to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.


My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, That I may answer him that reproacheth me.


A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself; But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.


Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; And hold him in pledge that is surety for a foreign woman.


He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It shall be counted a curse to him.


A continual dropping in a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike:


He that would restrain her restraineth the wind; And his right hand encountereth oil.


Iron sharpeneth iron; So a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.


Whoso keepeth the fig-tree shall eat the fruit thereof; And he that regardeth his master shall be honored.


As in water face answereth to face, So the heart of man to man.


Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; And the eyes of man are never satisfied.


The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold; And a man is tried by his praise.


Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with bruised grain, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.


Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, And look well to thy herds:


For riches are not for ever; And doth the crown endure unto all generations?


The hay is carried, and the tender grass showeth itself, And the herbs of the mountains are gathered in.


The lambs are for thy clothing, And the goats are the price of the field;


And there will be goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, And maintenance for thy maidens.


The wicked flee when no man pursueth; But the righteous are bold as a lion.


For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof; But by men of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.


A needy man that oppresseth the poor Is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.


They that forsake the law praise the wicked; But such as keep the law contend with them.


Evil men understand not justice; But they that seek Jehovah understand all things.


Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, Than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.


Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son; But he that is a companion of gluttons shameth his father.


He that augmenteth his substance by interest and increase, Gathereth it for him that hath pity on the poor.


He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.


Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, He shall fall himself into his own pit; But the perfect shall inherit good.


The rich man is wise in his own conceit; But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.


When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.


He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper; But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.


Happy is the man that feareth alway; But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.


As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, So is a wicked ruler over a poor people.


The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor; But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.


A man that is laden with the blood of any person Shall flee unto the pit; let no man stay him.


Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered; But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.


He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.


A faithful man shall abound with blessings; But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished.


To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.


He that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches, And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.


He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favor Than he that flattereth with the tongue.


Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression, The same is the companion of a destroyer.


He that is of a greedy spirit stirreth up strife; But he that putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be made fat.


He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool; But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.


He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.


When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.


He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.


When the righteous are increased, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man beareth rule, the people sigh.


Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father; But he that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance.


The king by justice establisheth the land; But he that exacteth gifts overthroweth it.


A man that flattereth his neighbor Spreadeth a net for his steps.


In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare; But the righteous doth sing and rejoice.


The righteous taketh knowledge of the cause of the poor; The wicked hath not understanding to know it.


Scoffers set a city in a flame; But wise men turn away wrath.


If a wise man hath a controversy with a foolish man, Whether he be angry or laugh, there will be no rest.


The bloodthirsty hate him that is perfect; And as for the upright, they seek his life.


A fool uttereth all his anger; But a wise man keepeth it back and stilleth it.


If a ruler hearkeneth to falsehood, All his servants are wicked.


The poor man and the oppressor meet together; Jehovah lighteneth the eyes of them both.


The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, His throne shall be established for ever.


The rod and reproof give wisdom; But a child left to himself causeth shame to his mother.


When the wicked are increased, transgression increaseth; But the righteous shall look upon their fall.


Correct thy son, and he will give thee rest; Yea, he will give delight unto thy soul.


Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.


A servant will not be corrected by words; For though he understand, he will not give heed.


Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.


He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child Shall have him become a son at the last.


An angry man stirreth up strife, And a wrathful man aboundeth in transgression.


A man's pride shall bring him low; But he that is of a lowly spirit shall obtain honor.


Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul; He heareth the adjuration and uttereth nothing.


The fear of man bringeth a snare; But whoso putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be safe.


Many seek the ruler's favor; But a man's judgment cometh from Jehovah.


An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; And he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.


The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:


Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man;


And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.


Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?


Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.


Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.


Two things have I asked of thee; Deny me them not before I die:


Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:


Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.


Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.


There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother.


There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness.


There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.


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.


The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, Yea, four that say not, Enough:


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


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.


There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:


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 maiden.


So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness.


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


For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;


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


There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise:


The ants are a people not strong, Yet they provide their food in the summer;


The conies are but a feeble folk, 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, Yet is she in kings' palaces.


There are three things which are stately in their 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.


If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, Lay thy hand upon thy mouth.


For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.


The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.


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


Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.


It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink?


Lest they drink, and forget the law, And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.


Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto the bitter in soul:


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


Open thy mouth for the dumb, In the cause of all such as are left desolate.


Open thy mouth, judge righteously, And minister justice to the poor and needy.


A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies.


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


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


She seeketh wool and flax, And worketh willingly with her hands.


She is like the merchant-ships; She bringeth her bread from afar.


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


She considereth a field, and buyeth it; With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.


She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms.


She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable; Her lamp goeth not out by night.


She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.


She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.


She is not afraid of the snow for her household; For all her household are clothed with scarlet.


She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.


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; And the law of kindness is on her tongue.


She looketh well to the ways of her household, 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 worthily, But thou excellest them all.


Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.


Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her works praise her in the gates.


The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.


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


What profit hath man of all his labor wherein he laboreth under the sun?


One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth for ever.


The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth.


The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits.


All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither 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 the sun.


Is there a thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been long ago, in the ages which were before us.


There is no remembrance of the former generations; neither shall there be any remembrance of the latter generations that are to come, among those that shall come after.


I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.


And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven: it is a sore travail that God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.


I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.


That which is crooked cannot be made straight; and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.


I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I have gotten me great wisdom above all that were before me in Jerusalem; yea, my heart hath had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.


And I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also was a striving after wind.


For in much wisdom is much grief; and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.


I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity.


I said of laughter, It is mad; and of mirth, What doeth it?


I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.


I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards;


I made me gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit;


I made me pools of water, to water therefrom the forest where trees were reared;


I bought men-servants and maid-servants, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all that were before me in Jerusalem;


I gathered me also silver and gold, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces; I gat me men-singers and women-singers, and the delights of the sons of men, musical instruments, and that of all sorts.


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


And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor; and this was my portion from all my labor.


Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do; and, behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.


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 done long ago.


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


The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walketh in darkness: and yet I perceived that one event happeneth to them all.


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


For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no remembrance for ever; seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. And how doth the wise man die even as the fool!


So I hated life, because the work that is wrought under the sun was grievous unto me; for all is vanity and a striving after wind.


And I hated all my labor wherein I labored under the sun, seeing that I must leave it unto the man that shall be after me.


And who knoweth whether he will be a wise man or a fool? yet will he have rule over all my labor wherein I have labored, and wherein I have showed myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.


Therefore I turned about to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor wherein I had labored under the sun.


For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, and with knowledge, and with skilfulness; yet to a man that hath not labored therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.


For what hath a man of all his labor, and of the striving of his heart, wherein he laboreth under the sun?


For all his days are but sorrows, and his travail is grief; yea, even in the night his heart taketh no rest. This also is vanity.


There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.


For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?


For to the man that pleaseth him God giveth 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 pleaseth God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.


For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:


a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;


a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;


a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;


a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;


a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;


a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;


a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.


What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth?


I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith.


He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end.


I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live.


And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.


I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him.


That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away.


And moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.


I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.


I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, that God may prove them, and that they may see that they themselves are but as beasts.


For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; and man hath no preeminence above the beasts: for all is vanity.


All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.


Who knoweth the spirit of man, whether it goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast, whether it goeth downward to the earth?


Wherefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him back to see what shall be after him?


Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.


Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;


yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.


Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.


The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.


Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.


Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.


There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.


Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.


For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.


Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?


And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.


Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.


For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.


I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.


There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.


Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.


Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.


For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.


When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.


Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.


Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?


For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.


If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.


Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.


He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.


When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?


The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.


There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:


and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.


As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.


And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?


All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.


Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.


Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.


For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.


There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men:


a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacketh nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but an alien eateth it; this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.


If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul be not filled with good, and moreover he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he:


for it cometh in vanity, and departeth in darkness, and the name thereof is covered with darkness;


moreover it hath not seen the sun nor known it; this hath rest rather than the other:


yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet enjoy no good, do not all go to one place?


All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.


For what advantage hath the wise more than the fool? or what hath the poor man, that knoweth how to walk before the living?


Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.


Whatsoever hath been, the name thereof was given long ago; and it is known what man is; neither can he contend with him that is mightier than he.


Seeing there are many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?


For who knoweth what is good for man in his life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?


A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death, than the day of one's birth.


It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.


Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made glad.


The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.


It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.


For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.


Surely extortion maketh the wise man foolish; and a bribe destroyeth the understanding.


Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof; and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.


Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.


Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.


Wisdom is as good as an inheritance; yea, more excellent is it for them that see the sun.


For wisdom is a defence, even as money is a defence; but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom preserveth the life of him that hath it.


Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?


In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; yea, God hath made the one side by side with the other, to the end that man should not find out anything that shall be after him.


All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his evil-doing.


Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself overwise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?


Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?


It is good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from that withdraw not thy hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth from them all.


Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers that are in a city.


Surely there is not a righteous man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.


Also take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;


for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.


All this have I proved in wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it was far from me.


That which is, is far off and exceeding deep; who can find it out?


I turned about, and my heart was set to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the reason of things, and to know that wickedness is folly, and that foolishness is madness.


And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.


Behold, this have I found, saith the Preacher, laying one thing to another, to find out the account;


which my soul still seeketh, but I have not found: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.


Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.


Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.


I counsel thee, Keep the king's command, and that in regard of the oath of God.


Be not hasty to go out of his presence; persist not in an evil thing: for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.


For the king's word hath power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?


Whoso keepeth the commandment shall know no evil thing; and a wise man's heart discerneth time and judgment:


for to every purpose there is a time and judgment; because the misery of man is great upon him:


for he knoweth not that which shall be; for who can tell him how it shall be?


There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power over the day of death; and there is no discharge in war: neither shall wickedness deliver him that is given to it.


All this have I seen, and applied my heart unto every work that is done under the sun: there is a time wherein one man hath power over another to his hurt.


So I saw the wicked buried, and they came to the grave; and they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city: this also is vanity.


Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.


Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him:


but it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.


There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, that there are righteous men unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.


Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that shall abide with him in his labor all the days of his life which God hath given him under the sun.


When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is that neither day nor night seeth sleep with his eyes),


then I beheld all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because however much a man labor to seek it out, yet he shall not find it; yea moreover, though a wise man think to know it, yet shall he not be able to find it.


For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it be love or hatred, man knoweth it not; all is before them.


All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not; as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.


This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.


For to him that is joined with all the living there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion.


For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.


As well their love, as their hatred and their envy, is perished long ago; neither have they any more a portion for ever in anything that is done under the sun.


Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.


Let thy garments be always white; and let not thy head lack oil.


Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of thy life of vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all thy days of vanity: for that is thy portion in life, and in thy labor wherein thou laborest under the sun.


Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.


I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance 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, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.


I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed 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 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.


Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard.


The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.


Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.


Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.


A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but 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 fool.


If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences.


There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler:


folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.


I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking like servants upon the earth.


He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.


Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth 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 direct.


If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.


The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.


The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.


A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?


The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city.


Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the 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!


By slothfulness the roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.


A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.


Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.


Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.


Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.


If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree 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 wind, 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 all.


In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.


Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.


Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.


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 thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.


Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.


Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;


before the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the stars, are darkened, and 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 that look out of the windows shall 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 music shall be brought low;


yea, 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 desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:


before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,


and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.


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


And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.


The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.


The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.


And furthermore, my son, be admonished: 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 heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.


For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.


The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.


Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.


Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is as oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee.


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.


I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.


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.


Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest thy flock, Where thou makest it to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions?


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


I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots.


Thy cheeks are comely with plaits of hair, Thy neck with strings of jewels.


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


While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance.


My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts.


My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi.


Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are as doves.


Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green.


The beams of our house are cedars, And our rafters are firs.


I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.


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


As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.


He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love.


Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love.


His left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.


I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.


The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.


My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice.


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


For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone;


The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;


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.


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.


Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.


My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.


Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.


By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.


I said, I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.


The watchmen that go about the city found me; To whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?


It was but a little that I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me.


Who is this that cometh up from 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 are 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 seat 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 veil. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of mount Gilead.


Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes that are newly shorn, Which are come up from the washing, Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.


Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy mouth is comely. Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.


Thy neck is like the tower of David Builded for an armory, Whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, All the shields of the mighty men.


Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe, Which feed among the lilies.


Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense.


Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee.


Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, With me from Lebanon: Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards.


Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck.


How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine oils than all manner of spices!


Thy lips, O my bride, drop as the honeycomb: Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.


A garden shut up is my sister, my bride; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.


Thy shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants,


Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; Myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices.


Thou art a fountain of gardens, A well of living waters, And flowing streams from Lebanon.


Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; Blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat his precious fruits.


I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; 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.


I was asleep, but my heart waked: It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; For my head is filled with dew, My locks with the drops of the night.


I have put off my garment; 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 for 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 withdrawn himself, and was gone. My soul 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 mantle from me.


I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved, That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.


What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, That thou dost so adjure us?


My beloved is white and ruddy, The chiefest among ten thousand.


His head is as the most fine gold; His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.


His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, Washed with milk, and fitly set.


His cheeks are as a bed of spices, As banks of sweet herbs: His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.


His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl: His body is as ivory work overlaid with sapphires.


His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.


His mouth is most sweet; Yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.


Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, That we may seek him with thee?


My beloved is gone down to his garden, To the beds of spices, To feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.


I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.


Thou art fair, O my love, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem, Terrible as an army with banners.


Turn away thine eyes from me, For they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, That lie along the side of Gilead.


Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, Which are come up from the washing; Whereof every one hath twins, And none is bereaved among them.


Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate Behind thy veil.


There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number.


My dove, my undefiled, is but one; She is the only one of her mother; She is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; Yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.


Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, Fair as the moon, Clear as the sun, Terrible as an army with banners?


I went down into the garden of nuts, To see the green plants of the valley, To see whether the vine budded, And the pomegranates were in flower.


Before I was aware, my soul set me Among the chariots of my princely people.


Return, return, O Shulammite; Return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, As upon the dance of Mahanaim?


How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O prince's daughter! Thy rounded thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skilful workman.


Thy body is like a round goblet, Wherein no mingled wine is wanting: Thy waist is like a heap of wheat Set about with lilies.


Thy two breasts are like two fawns That are twins of a roe.


Thy neck is like the tower of ivory; Thine eyes as the pools in Heshbon, By the gate of Bath-rabbim; Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon Which looketh toward Damascus.


Thy head upon thee is like Carmel, And the hair of thy head like purple; The king is held captive in the tresses thereof.


How fair and how pleasant art thou, O love, for delights!


This thy stature is like to a palm-tree, And thy breasts to its clusters.


I said, I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will take hold of the branches thereof: Let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, And the smell of thy breath like apples,


And thy mouth like the best wine, That goeth down smoothly for my beloved, Gliding through the lips of those that are asleep.


I am my beloved's; And his desire is toward me.


Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; Let us lodge in the villages.


Let us get up early to the vineyards; Let us see whether the vine hath budded, And its blossom is open, And the pomegranates are in flower: There will I give thee my love.


The mandrakes give forth fragrance; And at our doors are all manner of precious fruits, new and old, Which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.


Oh that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! When I should find thee without, I would kiss thee; Yea, and none would despise me.


I would lead thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, Who would instruct me; I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, Of the juice of my pomegranate.


His left hand should be under my head, And his right hand should embrace me.


I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.


Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee: There thy mother was in travail with thee, There was she in travail that brought thee forth.


Set me as a seal upon thy heart, As a seal upon thine arm: For love is strong as death; Jealousy is cruel as Sheol; The flashes thereof are flashes of fire, A very flame of Jehovah.


Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can floods drown it: If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, He would utterly be contemned.


We have a little sister, And she hath no breasts: What shall we do for our sister In the day when she shall be spoken for?


If she be a wall, We will build upon her a turret of silver: And if she be a door, We will inclose her with boards of cedar.


I am a wall, and my breasts like the towers thereof: Then was I in his eyes as one that found peace.


Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; He let out the vineyard unto keepers; Every one for the fruit thereof was to bring a thousand pieces of silver.


My vineyard, which is mine, is before me: Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousand, And those that keep the fruit thereof two hundred.


Thou that dwellest in the gardens, The companions hearken for thy voice: Cause me to hear it.


Make haste, my beloved, And be thou like to a roe or to a young hart Upon the mountains of spices.


The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.


Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.


The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.


Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, children that deal corruptly! they have forsaken Jehovah, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are estranged and gone backward.


Why will ye be still stricken, that ye revolt more and more? the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.


From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and fresh stripes: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil.


Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.


And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.


Except Jehovah of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, we should have been like unto Gomorrah.


Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.


What unto me is the multitude of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah: I have had enough of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats.


When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts?


Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies,-I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.


Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them.


And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.


Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;


learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.


Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.


If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:


but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.


How is the faithful city become a harlot! she that was full of justice! righteousness lodged in her, but now murderers.


Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water.


Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.


Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies;


and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin;


and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town.


Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.


But the destruction of transgressors and sinners shall be together, and they that forsake Jehovah shall be consumed.


For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.


For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.


And the strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.


The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.


And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.


And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.


And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.


O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah.


For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they strike hands with the children of foreigners.


And their land is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.


Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.


And the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is brought low: therefore forgive them not.


Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty.


The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.


For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low;


and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,


and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,


and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fortified wall,


and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery.


And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day.


And the idols shall utterly pass away.


And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.


In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats;


to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth.


Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?


For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water;


the mighty man, and the man of war; the judge, and the prophet, and the diviner, and the elder;


the captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the expert artificer, and the skilful enchanter.


And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.


And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbor: the child shall behave himself proudly against the old man, and the base against the honorable.


When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand;


in that day shall he lift up his voice, saying, I will not be a healer; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: ye shall not make me ruler of the people.


For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to provoke the eyes of his glory.


The show of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! for they have done evil unto themselves.


Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.


Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him; for what his hands have done shall be done unto him.


As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.


Jehovah standeth up to contend, and standeth to judge the peoples.


Jehovah will enter into judgment with the elders of his people, and the princes thereof: It is ye that have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses:


what mean ye that ye crush my people, and grind the face of the poor? saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.


Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet;


therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and Jehovah will lay bare their secret parts.


In that day the Lord will take away the beauty of their anklets, and the cauls, and the crescents;


the pendants, and the bracelets, and the mufflers;


the headtires, and the ankle chains, and the sashes, and the perfume-boxes, and the amulets;


the rings, and the nose-jewels;


the festival robes, and the mantles, and the shawls, and the satchels;


the hand-mirrors, and the fine linen, and the turbans, and the veils.


And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet spices there shall be rottenness; and instead of a girdle, a rope; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth; branding instead of beauty.


Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.


And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate and sit upon the ground.


And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.


In that day shall the branch of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.


And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem;


when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, by the spirit of justice, and by the spirit of burning.


And Jehovah will create over the whole habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be spread a covering.


And there shall be a pavilion for a shade in the day-time from the heat, and for a refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.


Let me sing for my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:


and he digged it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.


And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.


What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?


And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:


and I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.


For the vineyard of Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for justice, but, behold, oppression; for righteousness, but, behold, a cry.


Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no room, and ye be made to dwell alone in the midst of the land!


In mine ears saith Jehovah of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant.


For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah.


Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that tarry late into the night, till wine inflame them!


And the harp and the lute, the tabret and the pipe, and wine, are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of Jehovah, neither have they considered the operation of his hands.


Therefore my people are gone into captivity for lack of knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude are parched with thirst.


Therefore Sheol hath enlarged its desire, and opened its mouth without measure; and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth among them, descend into it.


And the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is humbled, and the eyes of the lofty are humbled:


but Jehovah of hosts is exalted in justice, and God the Holy One is sanctified in righteousness.


Then shall the lambs feed as in their pasture, and the waste places of the fat ones shall wanderers eat.


Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of falsehood, and sin as it were with a cart rope;


that say, Let him make speed, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!


Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!


Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!


Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink;


that justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!


Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the dry grass sinketh down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Jehovah of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.


Therefore is the anger of Jehovah kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the mountains tremble, and their dead bodies are as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss for them from the end of the earth; and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.


None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:


whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses' hoofs shall be accounted as flint, and their wheels as a whirlwind:


their roaring shall be like a lioness, they shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and carry it away safe, and there shall be none to deliver.


And they shall roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold, darkness and distress; and the light is darkened in the clouds thereof.


In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.


Above him stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.


And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.


And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.


Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.


Then flew one of the seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:


and he touched my mouth with it, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin forgiven.


And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me.


And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.


Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.


Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, and the land become utterly waste,


and Jehovah have removed men far away, and the forsaken places be many in the midst of the land.


And if there be yet a tenth in it, it also shall in turn be eaten up: as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remaineth, when they are felled; so the holy seed is the stock thereof.


And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.


And it was told the house of David, saying, Syria is confederate with Ephraim. And his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind.


Then said Jehovah unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shear-jashub thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, in the highway of the fuller's field;


and say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.


Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying,


Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel;


thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.


For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people:


and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.


And Jehovah spake again unto Ahaz, saying,


Ask thee a sign of Jehovah thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.


But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt Jehovah.


And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David: Is it a small thing for you to weary men, that ye will weary my God also?


Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.


Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good.


For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land whose two kings thou abhorrest shall be forsaken.


Jehovah will bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy father's house, days that have not come, from the day that Ephraim departed from Judah-even the king of Assyria.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah will hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.


And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and in the clefts of the rocks, and upon all thorn-hedges, and upon all pastures.


In that day will the Lord shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall keep alive a young cow, and two sheep;


and it shall come to pass, that because of the abundance of milk which they shall give he shall eat butter: for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the midst of the land.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that every place, where there were a thousand vines at a thousand silverlings, shall be for briers and thorns.


With arrows and with bow shall one come thither, because all the land shall be briers and thorns.


And all the hills that were digged with the mattock, thou shalt not come thither for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen, and for the treading of sheep.


And Jehovah said unto me, Take thee a great tablet, and write upon it with the pen of a man, For Maher-shalal-hash-baz;


and I will take unto me faithful witnesses to record, Uriah the priest, and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.


And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said Jehovah unto me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz.


For before the child shall have knowledge to cry, My father, and, My mother, the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be carried away before the king of Assyria.


And Jehovah spake unto me yet again, saying,


Forasmuch as this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;


now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory: and it shall come up over all its channels, and go over all its banks;


and it shall sweep onward into Judah; it shall overflow and pass through; it shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of its wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.


Make an uproar, O ye peoples, and be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and be broken in pieces.


Take counsel together, and it shall be brought to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.


For Jehovah spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,


Say ye not, A conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people shall say, A conspiracy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be in dread thereof.


Jehovah of hosts, him shall ye sanctify; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.


And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.


And many shall stumble thereon, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.


Bind thou up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.


And I will wait for Jehovah, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.


Behold, I and the children whom Jehovah hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth in mount Zion.


And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits and unto the wizards, that chirp and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead?


To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.


And they shall pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward:


and they shall look unto the earth, and, behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish; and into thick darkness they shall be driven away.


But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali; but in the latter time hath he made it glorious, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.


The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.


Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.


For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, thou hast broken as in the day of Midian.


For all the armor of the armed man in the tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, for fuel of fire.


For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.


Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.


The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.


And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in pride and in stoutness of heart,


The bricks are fallen, but we will build with hewn stone; the sycomores are cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.


Therefore Jehovah will set up on high against him the adversaries of Rezin, and will stir up his enemies,


the Syrians before, and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


Yet the people have not turned unto him that smote them, neither have they sought Jehovah of hosts.


Therefore Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day.


The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.


For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.


Therefore the Lord will not rejoice over their young men, neither will he have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for every one is profane and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


For wickedness burneth as the fire; it devoureth the briers and thorns; yea, it kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in a column of smoke.


Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land burnt up; and the people are as the fuel of fire: no man spareth his brother.


And one shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:


Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness;


to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!


And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory?


They shall only bow down under the prisoners, and shall fall under the slain. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.


Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation!


I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.


Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few.


For he saith, Are not my princes all of them kings?


Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?


As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;


shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?


Wherefore it shall come to pass, that, when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.


For he hath said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding: and I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and like a valiant man I have brought down them that sit on thrones:


and my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the peoples; and as one gathereth eggs that are forsaken, have I gathered all the earth: and there was none that moved the wing, or that opened the mouth, or chirped.


Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? shall the saw magnify itself against him that wieldeth it? as if a rod should wield them that lift it up, or as if a staff should lift up him that is not wood.


Therefore will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire.


And the light of Israel will be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame; and it will burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day.


And he will consume the glory of his forest, and of his fruitful field, both soul and body: and it shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth.


And the remnant of the trees of his forest shall be few, so that a child may write them.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and they that are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again lean upon him that smote them, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.


A remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.


For though thy people, Israel, be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them shall return: a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.


For a full end, and that determined, will the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, make in the midst of all the earth.


Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian, though he smite thee with the rod, and lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.


For yet a very little while, and the indignation against thee shall be accomplished, and mine anger shall be directed to his destruction.


And Jehovah of hosts will stir up against him a scourge, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb: and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up after the manner of Egypt.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall depart from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed by reason of fatness.


He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmash he layeth up his baggage;


they are gone over the pass; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembleth; Gibeah of Saul is fled.


Cry aloud with thy voice, O daughter of Gallim! hearken, O Laishah! O thou poor Anathoth!


Madmenah is a fugitive; the inhabitants of Gebim flee for safety.


This very day shall he halt at Nob: he shaketh his hand at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.


Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, will lop the boughs with terror: and the high of stature shall be hewn down, and the lofty shall be brought low.


And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.


And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots shall bear fruit.


And the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah.


And his delight shall be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears;


but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.


And righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.


And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.


And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.


And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.


They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that the root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek; and his resting-place shall be glorious.


And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.


And he will set up an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.


The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and they that vex Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.


And they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines on the west; together shall they despoil the children of the east: they shall put forth their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.


And Jehovah will utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his scorching wind will he wave his hand over the River, and will smite it into seven streams, and cause men to march over dryshod.


And there shall be a highway for the remnant of his people, that shall remain, from Assyria; like as there was for Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.


And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.


Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid: for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.


Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.


And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted.


Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth.


Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.


The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.


Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.


I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for mine anger, even my proudly exulting ones.


The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.


They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.


Wail ye; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.


Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt:


and they shall be dismayed; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail: they shall look in amazement one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.


Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.


For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine.


And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity: and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.


I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir.


Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.


And it shall come to pass, that as the chased roe, and as sheep that no man gathereth, they shall turn every man to his own people, and shall flee every man to his own land.


Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is taken shall fall by the sword.


Their infants also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be rifled, and their wives ravished.