The Lantern

Ecclesiastes5

Keep thy foot, when thou goest unto the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than dullards to offer sacrifice,—for they make no acknowledgment of doing wrong.

Be not rash with thy mouth, and, with thy heart, be not in haste to bring forth a word, before God,—for, God, is in the heavens, and, thou, upon the earth, for this cause, let thy words be few.

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business,—and, the voice of a dullard, is with a multitude of words.

When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards,—what thou vowest, pay!

Better that thou shouldest not vow,—than vow, and not pay.

Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin,—neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake,—wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

For [it was done] amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words,—but, towards God, be thou reverent.

If, the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of justice and righteousness, thou see in the province, do not be astonished over the matter,—for, one high above the highest, is watching, yea, the Most High, is over them.

And, the profit of the earth, is, for all,—a king, by the field, is served.

He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue,—even this, was vanity.

When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof,—what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?

Sweet the sleep of the labourer, whether, little or much, he eat,—but, the surfeit of the rich man, will not suffer him to sleep.

Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

and those riches perish, by being ill employed,—and though he begetteth a son, yet is there in his hand nothing at all.

As he came from his mother’s womb, naked, he again departeth, as he came,—and, nothing, can he take of his toil, which he can carry in his hand.

Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart,—what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?

Even all his days, [are spent] in darkness and mourning,—and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.

Lo! what, I myself, have seen—Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one’s toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:

yet, as regardeth every man, to whom God hath given wealth and goods, and granted him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to find gladness in his toil, this, is, the gift of God.

Though it be not much, let him remember the days of his life,—for, God, beareth witness, by the gladness of his heart.