Study Desk

For the condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are euen as one condition vnto them. As the one dyeth, so dyeth the other: for they haue all one breath, and there is no excellency of man aboue ye beast: for all is vanitie.

Therefore I see that there is nothing better then that a man shoulde reioyce in his affaires, because that is his portion. For who shal bring him to see what shalbe after him?

And I count him better then them both, which hath not yet bin: for he hath not seene the euill workes which are wrought vnder the sunne.

There is one alone, & there is not a second, which hath neither sonne nor brother, yet is there none end of all his trauaile, neither can his eye be satisfied with riches: neither doeth he thinke, For whome doe I trauaile and defraude my soule of pleasure? this also is vanitie, and this is an euill trauaile.

Two are better then one: for they haue better wages for their labour.

For if they fal, the one wil lift vp his felow: but wo vnto him that is alone: for he falleth, and there is not a second to lift him vp.

For out of the prison he commeth forth to reigne: when as he that is borne in his kingdome, is made poore.

Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the House of God, and be more neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles: for they knowe not that they doe euil.

Be not rash with thy mouth, nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God: for God is in the heauens, and thou art on the earth: therefore let thy wordes be fewe.

For as a dreame commeth by the multitude of businesse: so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes.

When thou hast vowed a vowe to God, deferre not to pay it: for he deliteth not in fooles: pay therefore that thou hast vowed.

For in the multitude of dreames, and vanities are also many wordes: but feare thou God.

If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore, and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice, be not astonied at the matter: for hee that is higher then the highest, regardeth, and there be higher then they.

There is an euill sickenes that I haue seene vnder the sunne: to wit, riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill.

And this also is an euill sickenes that in all pointes as he came, so shall he goe, and what profit hath he that he hath traueiled for the winde?

Beholde then, what I haue seene good, that it is comely to eate, and to drinke, and to take pleasure in all his labour, wherein he traueileth vnder the sunne, the whole nomber of the dayes of his life, which God giueth him: for this is his portion.

A man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures and honour, and he wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth: but God giueth him not power to eate thereof, but a strange man shall eate it vp: this is vanitie, and this is an euill sicknesse.

For he commeth into vanitie and goeth into darkenesse: and his name shall be couered with darkenesse.

All the labour of man is for his mouth: yet the soule is not filled.

For what hath the wise man more then the foole? what hath the poore that knoweth how to walke before the liuing?