Have

I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

I have seen all the things that are done under the sun, and have found them all to be futile, a pursuit of the wind.

I said to myself, “Behold, I have grown and increased in wisdom beyond all those before me who were over Jerusalem, and my mind has observed a wealth of wisdom and knowledge.”

So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.

And who knows whether that man will be wise or foolish? Yet he will take over all the labor at which I have worked skillfully under the sun. This too is futile.

Nothing is better for a man than to eat and drink and enjoy his work. I have also seen that this is from the hand of God.

I have seen the burden that God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them.

For the fates of both men and beasts are the same: As one dies, so dies the other—they all have the same breath. Man has no advantage over the animals, since everything is futile.

I have seen that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will come after him?

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.

There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.

There is another evil I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily upon mankind:

In my futile life I have seen both of these: A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

“Behold,” says the Teacher, “I have discovered this by adding one thing to another to find an explanation.

While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

While my soul was still searching but not finding, among a thousand I have found one upright man, but among all these I have not found one such woman.

Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

Only this have I found: I have discovered that God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

All this I have seen, applying my mind to every deed that is done under the sun; there is a time when one man lords it over another to his own detriment.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward, because the memory of them is forgotten.

Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

Their love, their hate, and their envy have already vanished, and they will never again have a share in all that is done under the sun.

I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me:

There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler:

I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.

Do not stare because I am dark, for the sun has gazed upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have neglected.

The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.

I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city: “Have you seen the one I love?”

You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your neck.

You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your neck.

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

I have taken off my robe—must I put it back on? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again?

I have taken off my robe—must I put it back on? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again?

Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down from Gilead.

The mandrakes send forth a fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, new as well as old, that I have treasured up for you, my beloved.

We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?

I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I have become in his eyes like one who brings peace.

Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.

Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.

Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Alas, O sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who act corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have despised the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on Him.

Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.

Unless the LORD of Hosts had left us a few survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have resembled Gomorrah.

I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them.

Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.

Surely you will be ashamed of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be embarrassed by the gardens that you have chosen.

For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east; they are soothsayers like the Philistines; they strike hands with the children of foreigners.

Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

A man will seize his brother within his father’s house: “You have a cloak—you be our leader! Take charge of this heap of rubble.”

On that day he will cry aloud: “I am not a healer. I have no food or clothing in my house. Do not make me leader of the people!”

The expression on their faces testifies against them, and like Sodom they flaunt their sin; they do not conceal it. Woe to them, for they have brought disaster upon themselves.

Woe to the wicked; disaster is upon them! For they will be repaid with what their hands have done.

The LORD brings this charge against the elders and leaders of His people: “You have devoured the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses.

What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?

What more could have been done for My vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I expected sweet grapes, did it bring forth sour fruit?

Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes the straw, and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will decay and their blossoms will blow away like dust; for they have rejected the instruction of the LORD of Hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of Hosts.”

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.

You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people rejoice before You as they rejoice at harvest time, as men rejoice in dividing the plunder.

For as in the day of Midian You have shattered the yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, and the rod of their oppressor.

“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

“The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with finished stone; the sycamores have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars.”

Aram from the east and Philistia from the west have devoured Israel with open mouths. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.

…and as I have done to Samaria and its idols, will I not also do to Jerusalem and her idols?”

For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.

For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, for I am clever. I have removed the boundaries of nations and plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their rulers.

They have crossed at the ford: “We will spend the night at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees.

In that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You. Although You were angry with me, Your anger has turned away, and You have comforted me.

I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.

I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have even summoned My warriors to execute My wrath and exult in My triumph.

Behold, I will stir up against them the Medes, who have no regard for silver and no desire for gold.

Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.

For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and settle them in their own land. The foreigner will join them and unite with the house of Jacob.

Even the cypresses and cedars of Lebanon exult over you: “Since you have been laid low, no woodcutter comes against us.”

They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!”

They will all respond to you, saying, “You too have become weak, as we are; you have become like us!”

How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

How you have fallen from heaven, O day star, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O destroyer of nations.

You will not join them in burial, since you have destroyed your land and slaughtered your own people. The offspring of the wicked will never again be mentioned.

The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.

The LORD of Hosts has sworn: “Surely, as I have planned, so will it be; as I have purposed, so will it stand.

Let my fugitives stay with you; be a refuge for Moab from the destroyer.” When the oppressor has gone, destruction has ceased, and the oppressors have vanished from the land,

We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his overflowing arrogance. But his boasting is empty.

For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea.

For the fields of Heshbon have withered, along with the grapevines of Sibmah. The rulers of the nations have trampled its choicest vines, which had reached as far as Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots had spread out and passed over the sea.

So I weep with Jazer for the vines of Sibmah; I drench Heshbon and Elealeh with my tears. Triumphant shouts have fallen silent over your summer fruit and your harvest.

Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards. No one tramples the grapes in the winepresses; I have put an end to the cheering.

They will not look to the altars they have fashioned with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they have made with their fingers.

They will not look to the altars they have fashioned with their hands or to the Asherahs and incense altars they have made with their fingers.

For you have forgotten the God of your salvation and failed to remember the Rock of your refuge. Therefore, though you cultivate delightful plots and set out cuttings from exotic vines—

The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. The cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray.

The princes of Zoan have become fools; the princes of Memphis are deceived. The cornerstones of her tribes have led Egypt astray.

For this is what the Lord says to me: “Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees.