Study Desk

A seruant will not be corrected by words: for though hee vnderstand, hee will not answere.

Remoue farre from mee vanity, and lyes; giue me neither pouerty, nor riches, feede me with food conuenient for me.

There be three things which are too wonderfull for me; yea foure, which I know not:

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for foure which it cannot beare:

For a seruant when he reigneth, and a foole when hee is filled with meate:

For an odious woman when shee is married, and an handmayd that is heire to her mistresse.

A lyon which is strongest among beastes, and turneth not away for any:

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drinke wine, nor for Princes, strong drinke:

Open thy mouth for the dumbe in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

Who can finde a vertuous woman? for her price is farre aboue Rubies.

She is not afraid of the snow for her houshold: for all her houshold are cloathed with scarlet.

One generation passeth away, and another generation commeth: but the earth abideth for euer.

For in much wisedome is much griefe: and hee that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow.

I sought in mine heart to giue my selfe vnto wine, (yet acquainting mine heart with wisedome) and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sonnes of men, which they should doe vnder the heauen all the dayes of their life.

And whatsoeuer mine eyes desired, I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any ioy: for my heart reioyced in all my labour; and this was my portion of all my labour.

And I turned my selfe to behold wisedome, and madnesse and folly: for what can the man doe, that commeth after the king? euen that which hath bene already done.

For there is no remembrance of the wise, more then of the foole for euer; seeing that which now is, in the dayes to come shall be forgotten; and how dieth the wise man? as the foole.

Therefore I hated life, because the worke that is wrought vnder the Sunne is grieuous vnto mee: for all is vanitie, and vexation of spirit.

For there is a man whose labour is in wisedome and in knowledge, and in equitie: yet to a man that hath not laboured therein, shall hee leaue it for his portion; This also is vanitie, and a great euill.

For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart wherein hee hath laboured vnder the Sunne?