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Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die:

Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.

There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.

As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.

…the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

…the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

…the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

…the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

…the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

…and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.

For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:

What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?

What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?

…lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.

Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.

Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.

The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.

Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.

These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

These are the words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher, “futility of futilities! Everything is futile!”

There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow after.

And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a miserable task God has laid upon the sons of men to occupy them!

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 set my mind to know wisdom and madness and folly; I learned that this, too, is a pursuit of the wind.

I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”

I sought to cheer my body with wine and to embrace folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom—until I could see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

I made gardens and parks for myself, where I planted all kinds of fruit trees.

I built reservoirs to water my groves of flourishing trees.

…and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.

…and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.

…and I accumulated for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered to myself male and female singers, and the delights of the sons of men—many concubines.

Yet when I considered all the works that my hands had accomplished and what I had toiled to achieve, I found everything to be futile, a pursuit of the wind; there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

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.

For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool!

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

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.

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

To the man who is pleasing in His sight, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner He assigns the task of gathering and accumulating that which he will hand over to one who pleases God. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

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

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men, yet they cannot fathom the work that God has done from beginning to end.

…and also that every man should eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his labor—this is the gift of God.

Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

Furthermore, I saw under the sun that in the place of judgment there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

I said to myself, “As for the sons of men, God tests them so that they may see for themselves that they are but beasts.”

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.

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?

Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and the spirit of the animal descends into the earth?

Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

Again I looked, and I considered all the oppression taking place under the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, and they had no comforter; the power lay in the hands of their oppressors, and there was no comforter.

I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

I saw that all labor and success spring from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and pursuit of the wind.

There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a miserable task.

And though one may be overpowered, two can resist. Moreover, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

There is no limit to all the people who were before them. Yet the successor will not be celebrated by those who come even later. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.

If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.

The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

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.

For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

Better what the eye can see than the wandering of desire. This too is futile and a pursuit of the wind.

A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

A good name is better than fine perfume, and one’s day of death is better than his day of birth.

It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

It is better to enter a house of mourning than a house of feasting, since death is the end of every man, and the living should take this to heart.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.

For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.

For like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool. This too is futile.