Study Desk

There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:

The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;

The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;

You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.

Unnumbered women have done well, but you are better than all of them.

Fair looks are a deceit, and a beautiful form is of no value; but a woman who has the fear of the Lord is to be praised.

One generation goes and another comes; but the earth is for ever.

All the rivers go down to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the rivers go, there they go again.

I said in my heart, I will give you joy for a test; so take your pleasure--but it was to no purpose.

The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

And who is to say if that man will be wise or foolish? But he will have power over all my work which I have done and in which I have been wise under the sun. This again is to no purpose.

Because there is a man whose work has been done with wisdom, with knowledge, and with an expert hand; but one who has done nothing for it will have it for his heritage. This again is to no purpose and a great evil.

To the man with whom he is pleased, God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives the work of getting goods together and storing up wealth, to give to him in whom God has pleasure. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.

He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

And again I saw all the cruel things which are done under the sun; there was the weeping of those who have evil done to them, and they had no comforter: and from the hands of the evil-doers there went out power, but they had no comforter.

It is one who is by himself, without a second, and without son or brother; but there is no end to all his work, and he has never enough of wealth. For whom, then, am I working and keeping myself from pleasure? This again is to no purpose, and a bitter work.

And if one has a fall, the other will give him a hand; but unhappy is the man who is by himself, because he has no helper.

So again, if two are sleeping together they are warm, but how may one be warm by himself?

There was no end of all the people, of all those whose head he was, but they who come later will have no delight in him. This again is to no purpose and desire for wind.