Proverbs 30–31 · Ecclesiastes 1–2

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

2“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

3I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

5“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

7“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.

8Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,

9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

10“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

11There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.

12There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.

13There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.

14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

15“The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:

16Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’

17“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

18“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

19The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

20“So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21“For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:

22For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,

23for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.

24“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

25The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

26The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.

27The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

28You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:

30The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

31the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

32“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.

33For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”

1The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:

2“Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!

3Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’

5lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

6Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.

7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

8Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.

9Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”

10Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.

11The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.

12She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

13She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.

14She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.

15She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.

16She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.

17She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.

18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.

19She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

20She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.

21She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

24She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.

25Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.

26She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.

27She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.

28Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

29“Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”

30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

31Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!

1The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

3What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

4One generation goes, and another generation comes; but the earth remains forever.

5The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, and hurries to its place where it rises.

6The wind goes toward the south, and turns around to the north. It turns around continually as it goes, and the wind returns again to its courses.

7All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

8All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9That which has been is that which shall be, and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing under the sun.

10Is there a thing of which it may be said, “Behold, this is new”? It has been long ago, in the ages which were before us.

11There is no memory of the former; neither shall there be any memory of the latter that are to come, among those that shall come after.

12I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

15That which is crooked can’t be made straight; and that which is lacking can’t be counted.

16I said to myself, “Behold, I have obtained for myself great wisdom above all who were before me in Jerusalem. Yes, my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.”

17I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

18For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

1I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure;” and behold, this also was vanity.

2I said of laughter, “It is foolishness;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?”

3I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold of folly, until I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their lives.

4I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

5I made myself gardens and parks, and I planted trees in them of all kinds of fruit.

6I made myself pools of water, to water the forest where trees were grown.

7I bought male servants and female servants, and had servants born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and flocks, above all who were before me in Jerusalem.

8I also gathered silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I got myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men: musical instruments of all sorts.

9So I was great, and increased more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also remained with me.

10Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.

11Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

12I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

13Then I saw that wisdom excels folly, as far as light excels darkness.

14The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

15Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

16For of the wise man, even as of the fool, there is no memory forever, since in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. Indeed, the wise man must die just like the fool!

17So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

18I hated all my labor in which I labored under the sun, because I must leave it to the man who comes after me.

19Who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have rule over all of my labor in which I have labored, and in which I have shown myself wise under the sun. This also is vanity.

20Therefore I began to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labor in which I had labored under the sun.

21For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

22For what does a man have of all his labor and of the striving of his heart, in which he labors under the sun?

23For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

24There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

25For who can eat, or who can have enjoyment, more than I?

26For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.