Part 8

21:010:017 Blessed 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!

21:010:018 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

21:010:019 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

21:010:020 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

21:011:001 Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

21:011:002 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

21:011:003 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

21:011:004 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

21:011:005 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.

21:011:006 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

21:011:007 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun:

21:011:008 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

21:011:009 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 thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.

21:011:010 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.

21:012:001 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

21:012:002 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

21:012:003 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 be darkened,

21:012:004 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

21:012:005 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

21:012:006 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

21:012:007 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

21:012:008 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

21:012:009 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

21:012:010 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

21:012:011 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

21:012:012 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

21:012:013 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

21:012:014 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.