Study Desk

For I have taken all this to my heart and explain ^[a]it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are ^(a)in the hand of God. ^(b)Man does not know whether it will be ^(c)love or hatred; anything ^[b]awaits him.

^(d)It is the same for all. There is ^(e)one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who ^[c]is afraid to swear.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is ^(f)one fate for all men. Furthermore, ^(g)the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and ^(h)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.

For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.

For the living know they will die; but the dead ⁽ⁱ⁾do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their ^(j)memory is forgotten.

Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a ^(k)share in all that is done under the sun.

Go then, ^(l)eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.

Let your ^(m)clothes be white all the time, and let not ⁽ⁿ⁾oil be lacking on your head.

Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your ^[d](o)fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun^[e]; for this is your ^(p)reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(q)do it with all your might; for there is no ^(r)activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in ^(s)Sheol where you are going.

I again saw under the sun that the ^(t)race is not to the swift and the ^(u)battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor ^(v)wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and ^(w)chance overtake them all.

Moreover, man does not ^(x)know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and ^(y)birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ^(z)ensnared at an evil time when it ^(aa)suddenly falls on them.

Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and ^[f]it impressed me.

There ^(ab)was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it.

But there was found in it a ^(ac)poor wise man and he ^[g]delivered the city ^(ad)by his wisdom. Yet ^(ae)no one remembered that poor man.

So I said, "^(af)Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded.

The ^(ag)words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools.

^(ah)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but ^(ai)one sinner destroys much good.

Dead flies make a ^(a)perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish ^(b)man's heart directs him toward the left.

Even when the fool walks along the road, his ^[a]sense is lacking and he ^[b](c)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool.

If the ruler's ^[c]temper rises against you, ^(d)do not abandon your position, because ^(e)composure allays great offenses.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler—

^(f)folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places.

I have seen ^(g)slaves riding ^(h)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

⁽ⁱ⁾He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a ^(j)serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.

He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.

If the ^[d]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must ^[e]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.

If the serpent bites ^[f](k)before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.

^(l)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a ^(m)fool consume him;

the beginning of ^[g]his talking is folly and the end of ^[h]it is wicked ⁽ⁿ⁾madness.

Yet the ^(o)fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him ^(p)what will come after him?

The toil of ^[i]a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

Woe to you, O land, whose ^(q)king is a lad and whose princes ^[j]feast in the morning.

Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for ^(r)drunkenness.

Through ^(s)indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks.

Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and ^(t)wine makes life merry, and ^(u)money ^[k]is the answer to everything.

Furthermore, ^(v)in your bedchamber do not ^(w)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.