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¹ Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.² For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.³ Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.⁴ Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!⁵ Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.⁶ Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.

⁷ Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.⁸ Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,⁹ Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, `Who [is] Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.

¹⁰ Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.¹¹ A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.¹² A generation -- pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.¹³ A generation -- how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.¹⁴ A generation -- swords [are] their teeth, And knives -- their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.

¹⁵ To the leech [are] two daughters, `Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said `Sufficiency;'¹⁶ Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth -- it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire -- it hath not said, `Sufficiency,'¹⁷ An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.

¹⁸ Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:¹⁹ The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.²⁰ So -- the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, `I have not done iniquity.'²¹ For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four -- it is not able to bear:²² For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,²³ For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.

²⁴ Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:²⁵ The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,²⁶ Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,²⁷ A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out -- each one shouting,²⁸ A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.

²⁹ Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:³⁰ An old lion -- mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,³¹ A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king -- no rising up with him.³² If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil -- hand to mouth!³³ For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!