Study Desk

For [God] giveth to a man who [is] good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth toil, to gather, and to amass, that he may give to [him that is] good before God. This also [is] vanity and vexation of spirit.

I know that [there is] no good in them, but for [a man] to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of [such as were] oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors [there was] power; but they had no comforter.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him [that is] alone when he falleth; for [he hath] not another to help him to rise.

Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm [alone]?

For in the multitude of dreams and many words [there are] also [divers] vanities: but fear thou God.

The sleep of a laboring man [is] sweet, whether he eateth little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

But those riches perish by evil labor: and he begetteth a son, and [there is] nothing in his hand.

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honor, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat of it, but a stranger eateth it: this [is] vanity, and it [is] an evil disease.

The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.

For wisdom [is] a defense, [and] money [is] a defense: but the excellence of knowledge [is], [that] wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me.

And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoever pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong [his] days, [which are] as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.

Wisdom [is] better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.