him, when his fpirit is departed from him. ting at his work, and turning the wheel about with his feet, who is alway carefully fet at his work and maketh all his work by number. 24 The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leifure and he that hath little business fhall be- 30 He fashioneth the clay come wife. A : with his arm, and boweth 25 How can he get wif-down his ftrength before his dom that holdeth the plough, feet: he applieth himself to and that glorieth in the goad; lead it over; and he is dilithat driveth oxen, and is oc- gent to make clean the furcupied in their labours, and nace. whose talk is of bullocks? 31 All these truft to their 26 He giveth his mind to hands and every one is make furrows: and is dili-wife in his work. gent to give the kine fodder. 32 Without these cannot a city be inhabited and they fhall not dwell where they will, nor go up and down. 27 So every carpenter and work-mafter that laboureth night and day and 33 They fhall not be they that cut and grave feals, fought for in publick counand are diligent to make fel, nor fit high in the congreat variety, and give gregation: they fhall not fit themselves to counterfeit i-on the judges feat, nor unmagery, and watch to finish derftand the fentence of a work. 28 The fmith alfo fitting by the anvil, and confidering the iron work, the vapour of the fire wafteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears, and his eyes look ftill upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh; he fetteth his mind to finish his work, and watcheth to polifh it perfectly. 29 So doth the potter fit judgment: they cannot declare juftice and judgment, and they fhall not be found where parables are spoken. 34 But they will maintain the ftate of the world, and [all] their defire is in the work of their craft. pied in prophecies. all the ancient, and be occu- his memorial fhall not depart away, and his name fhall live from generation to genera 2 He will keep the fayings of the renowned mention. and where fubtile parables he will be there alfo. are, 3 He will feek out the fecrets of grave fentences, and be converfant in dark parables. 4 He fhall ferve among great men, and appear before princes he will travel through ftrange countries, for he hath tried the good and the evil among men. 5 He will give his heart to refort early to the Lord that made him, and will pray before the most High, and will open his mouth in prayer, and make supplication for his fins. 6 When the great Lord will, he fhall be filled with the fpirit of understanding: he fhall pour out wife sentences, and give thanks unto the Lord in his prayer. 7 He fhall direct his counfel, and knowledge, and in his fecrets fhall he meditate. 8 He shall fhew forth that which he hath learned, and fhall glory in the law of the #covenant of the Lord. 9 Many fhall commend his understanding, and fo long as the world endureth, it fhall not be blotted out; 10 Nations fhall fhew forth his wifdom, and the congregation fhall declare his praife. II If he die, he shall leave a greater name than a thoufand: and if he live, he shall increase it. 12 Yet have I more to fay, which I have thought upon, for I am filled as the moon at the full. 13 Hearken unto me, ye holy children, and bud forth as a rofe growing by the brook of the field: 14 And give ye a sweet favour as frankincense, and flourish as a lily, fend forth a fmell, and fing a fong of praise, bless the Lord in all his works. 15 Magnify his name, and fhew forth his praise with the fongs of your lips, and with harps, and in praising him ye fhall fay after this manner : 16 All the works of the Lord are exceeding good, and whatsoever he commandeth fhall be accomplished in due feason. 17 And none may fay, What is this? wherefore is that? for at time convenient they they shall all be fought out: at his commandment the waters ftood as an heap, and at the words of his mouth the receptacles of waters. 18 At his commandment is done whatsoever pleaseth him, and none can hinder when he will fave. 19 The works of all flesh are before him, and nothing can be hid from his eyes. 20 He feeth from everlafting to everlafting; and there is nothing wonderful before him. 21 A man need not to fay, What is this? where grape, and oil, and clothing. 27 All these things are for good to the godly; fo to the finners they are turned into evil. 28 There be fpirits that are created for vengeance, which in their fury lay on fore strokes; in the time of deftruction they pour out, their force, and appease the wrath of him that made them. 29 Fire and hail, and famine and death, all these were created for vengeance; 30 Teeth of wild beasts, and fcorpions, ferpents, and fore is that? for he hath the fword, punishing the made all things for their wicked to deftruction, ufes. 22 His bleffing covered the dry land as a river, and watered it as a flood. 23 As he hath turned the waters into faltnefs: fo fhall the heathen inherit his wrath. 24 As his ways are plain unto the holy, fo are they ftumbling-blocks unto the wicked. 25 For the good are good things created from the beginning fo evil things for finners. 31 They fhall rejoice in his commandment, and they fhall be ready upon earth, when need is; and when their time is come they shall not tranfgrefs his word. 32 Therefore from the beginning I was refolved, and thought upon these things, and have left them in writing. 33 All the works of the Lord are good and he will give every needful thing in due feafon. 34 So that a man cannot fay, This is worse than that: for in time they fhall all be well approved. 26 The principal things for the whole ufe of man's life, are water, fire, iron, and falt, flour of wheat, honey, milk, and the blood of the 35 And therefore praise ye the Lord with the whole heart and mouth, and blefs the name of the Lord. G CHAP. XL. REAT travail is created for every man, and an heavy yoke is upon the fons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother's womb, till the day that they return to the mother of all things. 2 Their imagination of things to come, and the day of death [trouble] their thoughts, and [caufe] fear of heart; 3 From him that fitteth on a throne of glory, unto him that is humbled in earth and ashes ; 4 From him that weareth purple and a crown, unto him that is clothed with a linen frock. 5 Wrath and envy, trouble and unquietnefs, fear of death, and anger and ftrife, and in the time of reft upon his bed his night fleep do change his knowledge. 6 A little or nothing is his reft, and afterward he is in a fleep, as in a day of keeping watch, troubled in the vifion of his heart, as if he were escaped out of a battle: 7 When all is fafe, he awaketh and marvelleth that the fear was nothing. 8 [Such things happen] unto all flesh, both man and beaft, and that is fevenfold more upon finners. 9 Death, and blood-fhed, ftrife, and fword, calamities, famine, tribulation, and the fcourge; 10 Thefe things are created for the wicked, and for their fakes came the flood. II All things that are of the earth fhall turn to the earth again: and that which is of the waters doth return into the fea. 12 All bribery and injuftice fhall be blotted out: but true dealing fhall endure for ever. 13 The goods of the unjuft fhall be dried up like a river, and fhall vanish with a noife, like a great thunder in rain. 14 While he openeth his hand, he fhall rejoice: fo fhall tranfgreffors come to nought. 15 The children of the ungodly fhall not bring forth many branches: but are as unclean, roots upon a hard rock. 16 The weed growing upon every water and bank of a river, fhall be pulled up before all grass. 17 Boun 17 Bountifulness is as of the Lord is above them a moft fruitful garden, and both: there is no want in mercifulness endureth for the fear of the Lord, and it needeth not to seek help. ever. I 18 To labour, and to be content with that a man hath, is a sweet life but he that findeth a treafure is above them both. 27 The fear of the Lord is a fruitful garden, and covereth him above all glory. 28 My fon, lead not a beggar's life, for better it is 19 Children, and the to die than to beg. building of a city, continue 29 The life of him that a man's name: but a blame-dependeth on another man's lefs wife is counted above table, is not to be counted them both. for a life: for he polluteth 20 Wine and mufick re-himself with other men's joice the heart: but the love meat, but a wife man wellof wifdom is above them nurtured will beware thereboth. of. |