Obey the King (ECC 8:2-8)

[8:2] Do what the king says, and don't make any rash promises to God.

[8:3] The king can do anything he likes, so depart from his presence; don't stay in such a dangerous place.

[8:4] The king acts with authority, and no one can challenge what he does.

[8:5] As long as you obey his commands, you are safe, and a wise person knows how and when to do it.

[8:6] There is a right time and a right way to do everything, but we know so little!

[8:7] None of us knows what is going to happen, and there is no one to tell us.

[8:8] No one can keep from dying or put off the day of death. That is a battle we cannot escape; we cannot cheat our way out.

The Wicked and the Righteous (ECC 8:9-9:12)

[8:9] I saw all this when I thought about the things that are done in this world, a world where some people have power and others have to suffer under them.

[8:10] Yes, I have seen the wicked buried and in their graves, but on the way back from the cemetery people praise them in the very city where they did their evil. It is useless.

[8:11] Why do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not punished quickly enough.

[8:12] A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and still live. Oh yes, I know what they say: “If you obey God, everything will be all right,

[8:13] but it will not go well for the wicked. Their life is like a shadow and they will die young, because they do not obey God.”

[8:14] But this is nonsense. Look at what happens in the world: sometimes the righteous get the punishment of the wicked, and the wicked get the reward of the righteous. I say it is useless.

[8:15] So I am convinced that we should enjoy ourselves, because the only pleasure we have in this life is eating and drinking and enjoying ourselves. We can at least do this as we labor during the life that God has given us in this world.

[8:16] Whenever I tried to become wise and learn what goes on in the world, I realized that you could stay awake night and day

[8:17] and never be able to understand what God is doing. However hard you try, you will never find out. The wise may claim to know, but they don't.

[9:1] I thought long and hard about all this and saw that God controls the actions of wise and righteous people, even their love and their hate. No one knows anything about what lies ahead.

[9:2] It makes no difference. The same fate comes to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the bad, to those who are religious and those who are not, to those who offer sacrifices and those who do not. A good person is no better off than a sinner; one who takes an oath is no better off than one who does not.

[9:3] One fate comes to all alike, and this is as wrong as anything that happens in this world. As long as people live, their minds are full of evil and madness, and suddenly they die.

[9:4] But anyone who is alive in the world of the living has some hope; a live dog is better off than a dead lion.

[9:5] Yes, the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten.

[9:6] Their loves, their hates, their passions, all died with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens in this world.

[9:7] Go ahead—eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God.

[9:8] Always look happy and cheerful.

[9:9] Enjoy life with the one you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble.

[9:10] Work hard at whatever you do, because there will be no action, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom in the world of the dead—and that is where you are going.

[9:11] I realized another thing, that in this world fast runners do not always win the races, and the brave do not always win the battles. The wise do not always earn a living, intelligent people do not always get rich, and capable people do not always rise to high positions. Bad luck happens to everyone.

[9:12] You never know when your time is coming. Like birds suddenly caught in a trap, like fish caught in a net, we are trapped at some evil moment when we least expect it.

Thoughts on Wisdom and Foolishness (ECC 9:13-10:20)

[9:13] There is something else I saw, a good example of how wisdom is regarded in this world.

[9:14] There was a little town without many people in it. A powerful king attacked it. He surrounded it and prepared to break through the walls.

[9:15] Someone lived there who was poor, but so clever that he could have saved the town. But no one thought about him.

[9:16] I have always said that wisdom is better than strength, but no one thinks of the poor as wise or pays any attention to what they say.

[9:17] It is better to listen to the quiet words of someone wise than to the shouts of a ruler at a council of fools.

[9:18] Wisdom does more good than weapons, but one sinner can undo a lot of good.

[10:1] Dead flies can make a whole bottle of perfume stink, and a little stupidity can cancel out the greatest wisdom.

[10:2] It is natural for the wise to do the right thing and for fools to do the wrong thing.

[10:3] Their stupidity will be evident even to strangers they meet along the way; they let everyone know that they are fools.

[10:4] If your ruler becomes angry with you, do not hand in your resignation; serious wrongs may be pardoned if you keep calm.

[10:5] Here is an injustice I have seen in the world—an injustice caused by rulers.

[10:6] Stupid people are given positions of authority while the rich are ignored.

[10:7] I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.

[10:8] If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you.

[10:9] If you work in a stone quarry, you get hurt by stones. If you split wood, you get hurt doing it.

[10:10] If your ax is dull and you don't sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is smarter to plan ahead.

[10:11] Knowing how to charm a snake is of no use if you let the snake bite first.

[10:12] What the wise say brings them honor, but fools are destroyed by their own words.

[10:13] They start out with silly talk and end up with pure madness.

[10:14] A fool talks on and on. No one knows what is going to happen next, and no one can tell us what will happen after we die.

[10:15] Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.

[10:16] A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long.

[10:17] But a country is fortunate to have a king who makes his own decisions and leaders who eat at the proper time, who control themselves and don't get drunk.

[10:18] When you are too lazy to repair your roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.

[10:19] Feasting makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can't have either without money.

[10:20] Don't criticize the king, even silently, and don't criticize the rich, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird might carry the message and tell them what you said.

What a Wise Person Does (ECC 11:1-8)

[11:1] Invest your money in foreign trade, and one of these days you will make a profit.

[11:2] Put your investments in several places—many places even—because you never know what kind of bad luck you are going to have in this world.

[11:3] No matter which direction a tree falls, it will lie where it fell. When the clouds are full, it rains.

[11:4] If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.

[11:5] God made everything, and you can no more understand what he does than you understand how new life begins in the womb of a pregnant woman.

[11:6] Do your planting in the morning and in the evening, too. You never know whether it will all grow well or whether one planting will do better than the other.

[11:7] It is good to be able to enjoy the pleasant light of day.

[11:8] Be grateful for every year you live. No matter how long you live, remember that you will be dead much longer. There is nothing at all to look forward to.

Advice to Young People (ECC 11:9-12:8)

[11:9] Young people, enjoy your youth. Be happy while you are still young. Do what you want to do, and follow your heart's desire. But remember that God is going to judge you for whatever you do.

[11:10] Don't let anything worry you or cause you pain. You aren't going to be young very long.

[12:1] So remember your Creator while you are still young, before those dismal days and years come when you will say, “I don't enjoy life.”

[12:2] That is when the light of the sun, the moon, and the stars will grow dim for you, and the rain clouds will never pass away.

[12:3] Then your arms, that have protected you, will tremble, and your legs, now strong, will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to chew your food, and your eyes too dim to see clearly.

[12:4] Your ears will be deaf to the noise of the street. You will barely be able to hear the mill as it grinds or music as it plays, but even the song of a bird will wake you from sleep.

[12:5] You will be afraid of high places, and walking will be dangerous. Your hair will turn white; you will hardly be able to drag yourself along, and all desire will be gone. We are going to our final resting place, and then there will be mourning in the streets.

[12:6] The silver chain will snap, and the golden lamp will fall and break; the rope at the well will break, and the water jar will be shattered.

[12:7] Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us.

[12:8] Useless, useless, said the Philosopher. It is all useless.

The Summing Up (ECC 12:9-14)

[12:9] But because the Philosopher was wise, he kept on teaching the people what he knew. He studied proverbs and honestly tested their truth.

[12:10] The Philosopher tried to find comforting words, but the words he wrote were honest.

[12:11] The sayings of the wise are like the sharp sticks that shepherds use to guide sheep, and collected proverbs are as lasting as firmly driven nails. They have been given by God, the one Shepherd of us all.

[12:12] My child, there is something else to watch out for. There is no end to the writing of books, and too much study will wear you out.

[12:13] After all this, there is only one thing to say: Have reverence for God, and obey his commands, because this is all that we were created for.

[12:14] God is going to judge everything we do, whether good or bad, even things done in secret.

The First Song (SNG 1:1-2:7)

The Woman

[1:2] Your lips cover me with kisses; your love is better than wine.

[1:3] There is a fragrance about you; the sound of your name recalls it. No woman could keep from loving you.

[1:4] Take me with you, and we'll run away; be my king and take me to your room. We will be happy together, drink deep, and lose ourselves in love. No wonder all women love you!

[1:5] Women of Jerusalem, I am dark but beautiful, dark as the desert tents of Kedar, but beautiful as the draperies in Solomon's palace.

[1:6] Don't look down on me because of my color, because the sun has tanned me. My brothers were angry with me and made me work in the vineyard. I had no time to care for myself.

[1:7] Tell me, my love, Where will you lead your flock to graze? Where will they rest from the noonday sun? Why should I need to look for you among the flocks of the other shepherds?

The Man

[1:8] Don't you know the place, loveliest of women? Go and follow the flock; find pasture for your goats near the tents of the shepherds.

[1:9] You, my love, excite men as a mare excites the stallions of Pharaoh's chariots.

[1:10] Your hair is beautiful upon your cheeks and falls along your neck like jewels.

[1:11] But we will make for you a chain of gold with ornaments of silver.

The Woman

[1:12] My king was lying on his couch, and my perfume filled the air with fragrance.

[1:13] My lover has the scent of myrrh as he lies upon my breasts.

[1:14] My lover is like the wild flowers that bloom in the vineyards at Engedi.

The Man

[1:15] How beautiful you are, my love; how your eyes shine with love!

The Woman

[1:16] How handsome you are, my dearest; how you delight me! The green grass will be our bed;

[1:17] the cedars will be the beams of our house, and the cypress trees the ceiling.

[2:1] I am only a wild flower in Sharon, a lily in a mountain valley.

The Man

[2:2] Like a lily among thorns is my darling among women.

The Woman

[2:3] Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my dearest compared to other men. I love to sit in its shadow, and its fruit is sweet to my taste.

[2:4] He brought me to his banquet hall and raised the banner of love over me.

[2:5] Restore my strength with raisins and refresh me with apples! I am weak from passion.

[2:6] His left hand is under my head, and his right hand caresses me.

[2:7] Promise me, women of Jerusalem; swear by the swift deer and the gazelles that you will not interrupt our love.

The Second Song (SNG 2:7-3:5)

The Woman

[2:8] I hear my lover's voice. He comes running over the mountains, racing across the hills to me.

[2:9] My lover is like a gazelle, like a young stag. There he stands beside the wall. He looks in through the window and glances through the lattice.

[2:10] My lover speaks to me.

The Man

Come then, my love; my darling, come with me.

[2:11] The winter is over; the rains have stopped;

[2:12] in the countryside the flowers are in bloom. This is the time for singing; the song of doves is heard in the fields.

[2:13] Figs are beginning to ripen; the air is fragrant with blossoming vines. Come then, my love; my darling, come with me.

[2:14] You are like a dove that hides in the crevice of a rock. Let me see your lovely face and hear your enchanting voice.

[2:15] Catch the foxes, the little foxes, before they ruin our vineyard in bloom.

The Woman

[2:16] My lover is mine, and I am his. He feeds his flock among the lilies

[2:17] until the morning breezes blow and the darkness disappears. Return, my darling, like a gazelle, like a stag on the mountains of Bether.

[3:1] Asleep on my bed, night after night I dreamed of the one I love; I was looking for him, but couldn't find him.

[3:2] I went wandering through the city, through its streets and alleys. I looked for the one I love. I looked, but couldn't find him.

[3:3] The sentries patrolling the city saw me. I asked them, “Have you found my lover?”

[3:4] As soon as I left them, I found him. I held him and wouldn't let him go until I took him to my mother's house, to the room where I was born.

[3:5] Promise me, women of Jerusalem; swear by the swift deer and the gazelles that you will not interrupt our love.

The Third Song (SNG 3:5-5:1)

The Woman

[3:6] What is this coming from the desert like a column of smoke, fragrant with incense and myrrh, the incense sold by the traders?

[3:7] Solomon is coming, carried on his throne; sixty soldiers form the bodyguard, the finest soldiers in Israel.

[3:8] All of them are skillful with the sword; they are battle-hardened veterans. Each of them is armed with a sword, on guard against a night attack.

[3:9] King Solomon is carried on a throne made of the finest wood.

[3:10] Its posts are covered with silver; over it is cloth embroidered with gold. Its cushions are covered with purple cloth, lovingly woven by the women of Jerusalem.

[3:11] Women of Zion, come and see King Solomon. He is wearing the crown that his mother placed on his head on his wedding day, on the day of his gladness and joy.

The Man

[4:1] How beautiful you are, my love! How your eyes shine with love behind your veil. Your hair dances like a flock of goats bounding down the hills of Gilead.

[4:2] Your teeth are as white as sheep that have just been shorn and washed. Not one of them is missing; they are all perfectly matched.

[4:3] Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; how lovely they are when you speak. Your cheeks glow behind your veil.

[4:4] Your neck is like the tower of David, round and smooth, with a necklace like a thousand shields hung around it.

[4:5] Your breasts are like gazelles, twin deer feeding among lilies.

[4:6] I will stay on the hill of myrrh, the hill of incense, until the morning breezes blow and the darkness disappears.

[4:7] How beautiful you are, my love; how perfect you are!

[4:8] Come with me from the Lebanon Mountains, my bride; come with me from Lebanon. Come down from the top of Mount Amana, from Mount Senir and Mount Hermon, where the lions and leopards live.

[4:9] The look in your eyes, my sweetheart and bride, and the necklace you are wearing have stolen my heart.

[4:10] Your love delights me, my sweetheart and bride. Your love is better than wine; your perfume more fragrant than any spice.

[4:11] The taste of honey is on your lips, my darling; your tongue is milk and honey for me. Your clothing has all the fragrance of Lebanon.

[4:12] My sweetheart, my bride, is a secret garden, a walled garden, a private spring;

[4:13] there the plants flourish. They grow like an orchard of pomegranate trees and bear the finest fruits. There is no lack of henna and nard,

[4:14] of saffron, calamus, and cinnamon, or incense of every kind. Myrrh and aloes grow there with all the most fragrant perfumes.

[4:15] Fountains water the garden, streams of flowing water, brooks gushing down from the Lebanon Mountains.

The Woman

[4:16] Wake up, North Wind. South Wind, blow on my garden; fill the air with fragrance. Let my lover come to his garden and eat the best of its fruits.

The Man

[5:1] I have entered my garden, my sweetheart, my bride. I am gathering my spices and myrrh; I am eating my honey and honeycomb; I am drinking my wine and milk.

The Women

Eat, lovers, and drink until you are drunk with love!