ECCLESIASTES
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2 In my heart I said, “Come on now, I will test you out with celebration and enjoy the finer things.” But see, that was also just vapour! 2 I said to Partying, “You create idiots!” and to Indulgence, “What’s the point?” 3 I committed in my heart to reviving my body with wine (but my heart was still guiding with wisdom) and to get a handle on stupidity until I could see what was good for the sons of man to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. 4 I completed great projects: I built houses for myself, I planted my personal vineyards, 5 I established gardens and paradises for myself and I planted all sorts of fruit trees in them. 6 I made for myself pools of water in order to irrigate the grove of flourishing trees. 7 I acquired male and female slaves, who became like children of my own household to me. I also had more livestock – cattle and sheep – than anyone who had been in Jerusalem before me. 8 On top of all this I collected for myself silver and gold as well as treasures from kings and provinces. I brought in my own male singers and female singers and also what offers a man pleasures – a harem of mistresses. 9 I was greater and I had more than anyone who had been in Jerusalem before me (but still my wisdom stood by me). 10 I held back from my eyes nothing that they asked of me. I didn’t withhold any indulgence from my heart so that it might rejoice after all my hard work. This is my reward for all my labours. 11 So I looked at all the works that my hands had done, and at all the hard work I had slaved to complete. Hey! It’s all vapour and like herding the wind! Nothing is gained under the sun!
12 Then I turned and considered wisdom, as well as ravings and stupidity. For what can the one succeeding the king do other than what the king has already done? 13 Then I understood that wisdom is more beneficial than stupidity, just as light is more beneficial than darkness. 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the idiot is walking in the darkness. Yet even I know that chance affects one as it affects them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “As chance happens to the idiot, so will it happen to me! So why am I wise? What have I gained?” So I declared in my heart, “This is also vapour!” 16 For there is no memorial for either the wise man or the idiot into the future Age, because in the coming days each will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man will die the same as the idiot!
17 So I hated life because every task that has been done under the sun seemed corrupt to me, since it’s all vapour and like herding the wind. 18 I also hated all my hard work I had slaved at under the sun which I must leave to the man coming after me. 19 Who knows if he will be a wise man or an idiot? Yet he will have authority over all my hard work in which I had toiled in my wisdom under the sun. This also is just vapour! 20 So then I turned back around and my heart despaired of all the hard work I had slaved at under the sun. 21 For a man does his hard work successfully with wisdom and knowledge, only to pass his share on to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This is also just vapour and extremely unfair. 22 For what does a man get for all his hard work and the yearning in his heart as he worked under the sun? 23 You see, all of his days pains and stress are his business, and even at night his heart doesn’t relax. This is also just vapour. 24 There is nothing better than for a man than to eat and drink and show himself to be good through his hard work. Personally, I see that this also comes from the Godhead’s hand 25 – indeed who will eat and rush about outside more than I do? 26 For, to a man who is pleasing before the Godhead he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and collecting, only to give it to the one pleasing before the Godhead! This is nothing but vapour, and like herding the wind.
3 For everything there is a set time,
and an appropriate time for every activity under the heavens:
2 A time to give birth,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to uproot what was planted.
3 A time to kill,
and a time to heal;
a time to knock down,
and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance.
5 A time to throw stones,
and a time to collect stones;
a time to hug,
and a time to refrain from hugging.
6 A time to search,
and a time to give up;
a time to keep,
and a time to throw away.
7 A time to rip,
and a time to sew;
a time to be silent,
and a time to speak.
8 A time to love,
and a time to hate;
a time for war,
and a time for peace.
9 What benefit is gained from doing hard work? 10 I saw the business which the Godhead has given to burden the sons of man. 11 All he has done is beautiful in its season. Also he has set the Age in their hearts, without which man can’t discover the work the Godhead has done from beginning to end. 12 So I have concluded that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and do good in life, 13 and also that each man should eat, drink, and find enjoyment in all his hard work – these things are a gift from the Godhead. 14 I know that everything the Godhead is doing will last into the Age; there is nothing to add to it, and nothing to take away from it. The Godhead has done this – men should be fearful before him!
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12 But remember the One who created you in the days of your youth, during which the difficult days haven’t yet come (lest the years arrive when you will say, “For me there’s no pleasure in them,”) 2 before those in which the sun will be dark, as will the light, the moon and the stars, and the storm clouds persist after the downpour; 3 in the day when the ones who watch over the house will tremble, and the macho men will stoop, and the grinders stop working as they dwindle away, and the ones looking through the windows grow dim, 4 and both the doors in the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding mill becomes low, and one wakes at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of the song will be humbled. 5 They will also be scared of what is high, and of terrors along the way. And the almond is rejected, and the locust struggles along, and the caper berry withers, because the man is on the way to the home of his era, and the mourners wander in the street 6 until such time as the silver cord will not be severed, nor the golden bowl breaks, nor the pitcher be smashed against the well or the waterwheel at the cistern get damaged. 7 And dirt – it shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to the Godhead who gave her.
8 “The most vapourous of vapours!” the Gatherer has said. “It’s all vapour!”
9 Not only was the Gatherer wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he has evaluated and studied, setting in order many proverbs. 10 The Gatherer hunted to find the most satisfying words that could be written – authentic words of truth. 11 Words from sages are like the staffs of shepherds, and like deeply embedded tent pegs that the masters of collections have been given from the Shepherding One alone. 12 My son, beware of anything in addition to them! There is no end to the writing of many books, and a lot of study wears the body out.
13 So, to end the matter, now all has been heard: Fear the Godhead and keep his commandments – this applies to all men – 14 because the Godhead will bring every deed into judgement; all hidden things whether good or evil.
2 In my heart I said, “Come on now, I will test you out with celebration and enjoy the finer things.” But see, that was also just vapour! 2 I said to Partying, “You create idiots!” and to Indulgence, “What’s the point?” 3 I committed in my heart to reviving my body with wine (but my heart was still guiding with wisdom) and to get a handle on stupidity until I could see what was good for the sons of man to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives. 4 I completed great projects: I built houses for myself, I planted my personal vineyards, 5 I established gardens and paradises for myself and I planted all sorts of fruit trees in them. 6 I made for myself pools of water in order to irrigate the grove of flourishing trees. 7 I acquired male and female slaves, who became like children of my own household to me. I also had more livestock – cattle and sheep – than anyone who had been in Jerusalem before me. 8 On top of all this I collected for myself silver and gold as well as treasures from kings and provinces. I brought in my own male singers and female singers and also what offers a man pleasures – a harem of mistresses. 9 I was greater and I had more than anyone who had been in Jerusalem before me (but still my wisdom stood by me). 10 I held back from my eyes nothing that they asked of me. I didn’t withhold any indulgence from my heart so that it might rejoice after all my hard work. This is my reward for all my labours. 11 So I looked at all the works that my hands had done, and at all the hard work I had slaved to complete. Hey! It’s all vapour and like herding the wind! Nothing is gained under the sun!
12 Then I turned and considered wisdom, as well as ravings and stupidity. For what can the one succeeding the king do other than what the king has already done? 13 Then I understood that wisdom is more beneficial than stupidity, just as light is more beneficial than darkness. 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, but the idiot is walking in the darkness. Yet even I know that chance affects one as it affects them all. 15 So I said in my heart, “As chance happens to the idiot, so will it happen to me! So why am I wise? What have I gained?” So I declared in my heart, “This is also vapour!” 16 For there is no memorial for either the wise man or the idiot into the future Age, because in the coming days each will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man will die the same as the idiot!
17 So I hated life because every task that has been done under the sun seemed corrupt to me, since it’s all vapour and like herding the wind. 18 I also hated all my hard work I had slaved at under the sun which I must leave to the man coming after me. 19 Who knows if he will be a wise man or an idiot? Yet he will have authority over all my hard work in which I had toiled in my wisdom under the sun. This also is just vapour! 20 So then I turned back around and my heart despaired of all the hard work I had slaved at under the sun. 21 For a man does his hard work successfully with wisdom and knowledge, only to pass his share on to someone who hasn’t worked for it. This is also just vapour and extremely unfair. 22 For what does a man get for all his hard work and the yearning in his heart as he worked under the sun? 23 You see, all of his days pains and stress are his business, and even at night his heart doesn’t relax. This is also just vapour. 24 There is nothing better than for a man than to eat and drink and show himself to be good through his hard work. Personally, I see that this also comes from the Godhead’s hand 25 – indeed who will eat and rush about outside more than I do? 26 For, to a man who is pleasing before the Godhead he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and collecting, only to give it to the one pleasing before the Godhead! This is nothing but vapour, and like herding the wind.
3 For everything there is a set time,
and an appropriate time for every activity under the heavens:
2 A time to give birth,
and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to uproot what was planted.
3 A time to kill,
and a time to heal;
a time to knock down,
and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance.
5 A time to throw stones,
and a time to collect stones;
a time to hug,
and a time to refrain from hugging.
6 A time to search,
and a time to give up;
a time to keep,
and a time to throw away.
7 A time to rip,
and a time to sew;
a time to be silent,
and a time to speak.
8 A time to love,
and a time to hate;
a time for war,
and a time for peace.
9 What benefit is gained from doing hard work? 10 I saw the business which the Godhead has given to burden the sons of man. 11 All he has done is beautiful in its season. Also he has set the Age in their hearts, without which man can’t discover the work the Godhead has done from beginning to end. 12 So I have concluded that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and do good in life, 13 and also that each man should eat, drink, and find enjoyment in all his hard work – these things are a gift from the Godhead. 14 I know that everything the Godhead is doing will last into the Age; there is nothing to add to it, and nothing to take away from it. The Godhead has done this – men should be fearful before him!
...
12 But remember the One who created you in the days of your youth, during which the difficult days haven’t yet come (lest the years arrive when you will say, “For me there’s no pleasure in them,”) 2 before those in which the sun will be dark, as will the light, the moon and the stars, and the storm clouds persist after the downpour; 3 in the day when the ones who watch over the house will tremble, and the macho men will stoop, and the grinders stop working as they dwindle away, and the ones looking through the windows grow dim, 4 and both the doors in the street are shut; when the sound of the grinding mill becomes low, and one wakes at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of the song will be humbled. 5 They will also be scared of what is high, and of terrors along the way. And the almond is rejected, and the locust struggles along, and the caper berry withers, because the man is on the way to the home of his era, and the mourners wander in the street 6 until such time as the silver cord will not be severed, nor the golden bowl breaks, nor the pitcher be smashed against the well or the waterwheel at the cistern get damaged. 7 And dirt – it shall return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to the Godhead who gave her.
8 “The most vapourous of vapours!” the Gatherer has said. “It’s all vapour!”
9 Not only was the Gatherer wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he has evaluated and studied, setting in order many proverbs. 10 The Gatherer hunted to find the most satisfying words that could be written – authentic words of truth. 11 Words from sages are like the staffs of shepherds, and like deeply embedded tent pegs that the masters of collections have been given from the Shepherding One alone. 12 My son, beware of anything in addition to them! There is no end to the writing of many books, and a lot of study wears the body out.
13 So, to end the matter, now all has been heard: Fear the Godhead and keep his commandments – this applies to all men – 14 because the Godhead will bring every deed into judgement; all hidden things whether good or evil.