Study Desk

As the sparrow in her wandering and the swallow in her flight, so the curse does not come without a cause.

The legs of one who has no power of walking are hanging loose; so is a wise saying in the mouth of the foolish.

Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

So is the man who gets the better of his neighbour by deceit, and says, Am I not doing so in sport?

Like breath on coals and wood on fire, so a man given to argument gets a fight started.

My son, be wise and make my heart glad, so that I may give back an answer to him who puts me to shame.

Iron makes iron sharp; so a man makes sharp his friend.

Like face looking at face in water, so are the hearts of men to one another.

I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.

The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.

I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

I made a search with my heart to give pleasure to my flesh with wine, still guiding my heart with wisdom, and to go after foolish things, so that I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under the heavens all the days of their life.

Then said I in my heart: As it comes to the foolish man, so will it come to me; so why have I been wise overmuch? Then I said in my heart: This again is to no purpose.

So I was hating life, because everything under the sun was evil to me: all is to no purpose and desire for wind.

So my mind was turned to grief for all the trouble I had taken and all my wisdom under the sun.

He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.

I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.

Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work--because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?