DASV: Digital American Standard Version
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of
the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
2 "Vanity
of vanities,"
says the Teacher [Qohelet].
"Vanity of vanities, all is
vanity."
3 What benefit does one get from all his effort
at which he toils under
the sun?
4 A generation comes,
a generation goes,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises,
the sun sets,
and hurries back to the
place where it rises again.
6 The wind blows
to the south,
and turns around to the
north;
it goes round and round,
continually circling back
around.
7 All the rivers
run into the sea,
yet the sea is not full.
To the place where the rivers flow,
there they go again.
8 All things are
full of weariness,
more than one can ever
say.
The eye is never satisfied with
seeing,
or the ear filled with
hearing.
9 That which has
been
is exactly that which will
be;
what has already been done,
is what will be done
again.
There is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything
of which it may be said,
"Look, here is something new?"
It has already been done long
ago,
in the ages before our
time.
11 No one remembers
what happened in the past;
nor will anyone remember the
things that are coming,
by those who
come after them.
12 I, the Teacher,
was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13 I dedicated my
heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is
an onerous burden that God has laid on human beings to be busy about.
14 I have seen
all the accomplishments that are done under the sun;
and conclude, all is vanity,
as futile as chasing the wind.
15 What is
crooked cannot be made straight,
what is missing cannot be counted.
16 I said to
myself, "I have achieved great wisdom beyond all who ruled Jerusalem before
me." My mind has carefully observed wisdom and knowledge.
17 I devoted my
heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I realized that this, too,
was as futile as chasing the wind.
18 For with much
wisdom, comes much grief,
the one who increases
knowledge, increases sorrow.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 2
1 I said to myself, "Come now, I will test
you with pleasure; enjoy yourself." But this also was futile.
2 I said of
laughter, "It is madness," and of pleasure, "What does it
accomplish?"
3 I searched in
my heart attempting to cheer myself with wine--my heart still guiding me with
wisdom--and grasping folly, so I might discover what was good for people to do
under heaven during the few days of their life.
4 I attempted
great projects. I built palaces and planted vineyards for myself.
5 I made gardens
and parks for myself, and I planted trees with all kinds of fruit on them.
6 I built pools
of water for myself, to irrigate groves of flourishing trees.
7 I bought male
and female slaves, and had slaves born in my house. I also had great possessions of herds and
flocks, beyond all who were before me in Jerusalem.
8 I accumulated
silver and gold and the treasure of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male
and female singers for myself, and a harem full of concubines, every sensual
delight a man could want.
9 So I was great
and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem, yet my wisdom stayed with
me.
10 Whatever my
eyes desired I did not deny them. I did not restrain my heart from any pleasure. So my heart rejoiced because of all my pursuits;
and this was my reward for all my labor.
11 Then I considered
everything my hands had accomplished, and on the labor that I had expended to achieve
it, and yet all was futility and a mere chasing after the wind. There was nothing gained under the sun.
12 So I turned
myself to consider wisdom, madness and folly.
For what more can the one who succeeds the king do? It has already been
done.
13 Then I
realized, "Wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than
darkness.
14 The wise man's
eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness." Yet I perceived that a similar fate happens
to them all.
15 Then said I to
myself, "The same fate that happens to a fool, will also happen to me, so
what was the benefit for me being wise?" Then I said to myself, "This
too is futile."
16 For the wise just
like the fool will not be remembered for long; seeing that in the days to come everything
will be forgotten. Tragically, the wise man dies just like the fool!
17 So I hated
life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. Everything is futile, a chasing after wind.
18 I hated all my
labor wherein I toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the one
who succeeds me.
19 Who knows
whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will control everything I have
labored so hard for using my wisdom under the sun. This also is futile.
20 So I turned and
resigned my heart to despair concerning all the toil that I had labored under
the sun.
21 For some
people labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill and yet they must leave it to someone
who has not worked for it. This also is a frustrating futility and a great tragedy.
22 For what does
a person get for all his labor and anxious struggle of his heart, with which he
toils under the sun?
23 For all his
days are full of sorrow, and his toil full of grief. Even in the night his heart cannot rest. This
also is futile.
24 There is
nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink, and find enjoyment
in his labor. I realized this too comes from the hand of God.
25 For who can
eat or find enjoyment without him?
26 For to the one
who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and joy; but to the sinner he gives
the work of gathering and accumulating wealth only so that he may hand it over
to the one who pleases God. This, too, is futile, a mere chasing after wind.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 3
1 For everything
there is a season,
and a time for every matter
under heaven:
2 a time to be born,
and a time to
die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pull
up what has been planted;
3 a time to kill,
and a time to
heal;
a time to break down,
and a time to
build up;
4 a time to weep,
and a time to
laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to
dance;
5 a time to scatter stones,
and a time to
gather stones;
a time to embrace,
and a time to
refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek,
and a time to give
up searching;
a time to keep,
and a time to
throw away;
7 a time to tear,
and a time to sew;
a time to be silent,
and a time to
speak;
8 a time to love,
and a time to
hate;
a time for war,
and a time for
peace.
9 What does a
worker really gain from all his toil?
10 I have seen
the burden God has given to humanity to be busy about.
11 He has made
everything beautiful in its time, he has put eternity in their heart, yet people
cannot fathom the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
12 I know that
there is nothing better for them than to be happy, and to enjoy themselves as
long as they live,
13 and also that
everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his labor, for this is
the gift of God.
14 I know that whatever God does will last forever; nothing can be added
to it, nor can anything be taken away from it.
God has done this so that humans will fear him.
15 Whatever is has already been;
so also whatever
will be has already been;
for God will seek to do again what has already happened before.
16 Furthermore, I
observed under the sun:
in the place of justice,
wickedness was
there;
in the place of righteousness,
wickedness was
there.
17 I said in my
heart,
"God will judge the righteous and the wicked;
for there is a time of accounting for
every matter and for every deed."
18 I said in my heart, "With regard to
human beings, God tests them to prove to them that they are like the animals."
19 For that which
happens to humans also happens to the animals; the same thing happens to both; as
the one dies, so the other dies; they both have the same breath. Humans have no advantage over the animals;
for all is futile.
20 All go to the
same place; all come from the dust, and all return to dust.
21 Who knows if the
human spirit goes upward, and the spirit of the animals goes downward into the
earth?
22 So I realized
that there is nothing better, than that a person should rejoice in his work;
for that is his lot. Who can show him
what the future will be after he is gone?
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 4
1 Then I looked again at all the oppressions
that are done under the sun.
Look, the tears of
oppressed,
but they had none
to comfort them.
Power was on the side of
their oppressors;
but they had
none to comfort them.
2 So I thought the dead
who are
already dead
are more fortunate than those
living,
who are still
alive.
3 Even better than both of them
is one who has
not yet been born,
who has not seen the evil deeds
that are done
under the sun.
4 Then I saw all
toil and skilful work was done
because one person envied his
neighbor.
This
also is futile and a chasing after the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands together,
and eats his
own flesh.
6 Better is a handful with quietness,
than two
handfuls with toil
and
chasing after the wind.
7 Again I saw futility
under the sun:
8 There is one who is all alone,
he has neither
son or brother;
yet there is no end to his
toil,
and his eyes are
never satisfied with riches.
"For whom then,"
he asks, "am I toiling
and depriving
myself of pleasure?"
This also is futile,
it is a pathetic
business.
9 Two are better than one,
because they
have a good reward for their toil.
10 For if one falls,
the other will
help his friend up;
but pity the one who is
alone when he falls,
and has no one
to help him up.
11 Again, if two lie down together,
they can keep
each other warm.
But how can someone who is
alone stay warm?
12 Although a person may prevail against one
who is alone,
two will be
able to withstand him.
A rope of three cords is
not quickly broken.
13 It is better to
be a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who does not know how to
accept advice anymore.
14 For the youth
got out of prison to become king; even though he was born poor in his kingdom.
15 I saw all the
living who walk under the sun, follow the youth who replaced the king.
16 There was no
end of all the people over whom he rules, yet those who come after will not be
happy with him. Surely this also is futile, a chasing after the wind.
DASV: Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard you steps when you go to the house of
God;
for it is better to draw near
to listen,
than to offer
the sacrifice of fools,
for
they know not that they do evil.
2 Do not be rash
with your mouth,
do not let your heart be
hasty
to utter
anything before God;
for God is in heaven,
and you are on
earth,
therefore
let your words be few.
3 For just as dreams come with many
cares,
so a fool's
voice comes with many words.
4 When you make a vow to God,
do not delay to
fulfill it;
for he has no pleasure in
fools,
fulfill what
you have vowed.
5 It is better that you not vow,
than that you make
a vow and not fulfill it.
6 Do not allow your mouth to cause you
to sin;
do not tell
the temple messenger,
"It
was a mistake."
Why should God be angry at
your voice,
and so destroy
the work of your hands?
7 For with many dreams there is futility,
so too with
many words,
rather
fear God.
8 If you see in a province the
oppression of the poor,
and violence exploiting
justice and righteousness,
do
not be astonished by it,
for a high official is
monitored by a higher one;
and there are ones
even higher over them.
9 The produce of the land benefits
everyone,
even the king
is served by the field.
10 He who loves money will never be
satisfied with money;
nor he who
loves wealth with his wages.
This
also is futile.
11 When goods increase,
so do those who
consume them;
so what advantage is it for
its owner,
except he gets
to gaze on them with his own eyes?
12 The sleep of a hard worker is sweet,
whether he eats
little or much;
but the wealth of the rich,
will not let
him sleep.
13 There is a great misfortune I have seen
under the sun,
riches hoarded
by its owner,
to
his own demise.
14 Those riches lost by a bad endeavor,
even though he
has a son,
there
will be nothing left to give him.
15 As naked as one comes from his mother's
womb,
so he will
depart again, naked as he came.
He can take away nothing
for all his toil,
that he may
carry it away in his hand.
16 This also is a
great misfortune,
just as he came, so he
will depart.
What gain does
he get from toiling for the wind?
17 Also all his days he eats in darkness,
terribly
frustrated, sick and angry.
18 This is what I
have discovered to be good and appropriate:
to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all one's laborious toil under
the sun, all the days of his life God has given him, for this is his lot in
life.
19 Also everyone
to whom God has given riches and wealth, he also has given him ability to eat
them, to accept his lot, and to find enjoyment in his toil--this is the gift of
God.
20 For he does
not constantly reflect back on the days of his life; because God keeps him
occupied with the present joy of his heart.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is another
misfortune I have seen under the sun, and it weighs heavily on humanity:
2 God give a person
riches, wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, but
God does not enable him to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys it instead. This is futility and a great misfortune.
3 If a man has a
hundred children and lives many years, however many the days his years are, if
he does not enjoy life’s benefits, and he has no decent burial; I conclude that
a stillborn child is better off than he is.
4 For though the
stillborn entered in futility, and departed into darkness, and its name was
shrouded in darkness;
5 even though it
had never seen the sun or known anything, this one has rest rather than that
unhappy man.
6 Even if he
lives a thousand years twice over, yet does not enjoy any good, do not all go
to the same place?
7 All human toil
is for the mouth,
and yet the appetite is never satisfied.
8 For what
advantage does the wise person have over the fool?
What benefit is there for the poor,
who know how to conduct themselves before the living?
9 Better to be
content with what the eyes see,
than the wandering of the desire for more.
This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
10 Whatever has
been, it was named long ago;
and it was known what man is;
neither can anyone argue with God about it
for there is no one stronger than he is.
11 The more
words, the more futility,
How does it benefit anyone?
12 For who knows
what is good for a person while he lives all the days of his brief life. He passes by like a shadow. For who can tell someone what will happen
after him under the sun?
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 7
1 A good name is
better than precious perfume,
and the day of death better
than the day of one's birth.
2 It is better
to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of
feasting,
for that is the end of every one,
and the living should take
this to heart.
3 Sorrow is
better than laughter,
for a sad face is good for
the heart.
4 The heart of
the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is
in the house of merriment.
5 It is better
to hear the rebuke of the wise,
than to hear the song of
fools.
6 For like the
crackling of thorns burning under a pot,
so is the laughter of the
fool,
this also is meaningless.
7 Surely
extortion makes the wise foolish,
and a bribe corrupts the heart.
8 Better is the
end of a thing than its beginning,
the patient in spirit are
better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not quick
in your spirit to be angry,
for anger resides in the
belly of fools.
10 Do not ask, "Why
were the good old days better than these days?"
for it is not wise to ask this.
11 Wisdom is as
good as an inheritance,
it benefits those who see
the sun.
12 For wisdom protects,
just like money protects;
but the benefit of
knowledge is,
that wisdom
preserves the life of the one who has it.
13 Consider the
work of God;
for who can make straight,
what he has
made crooked?
14 In times of
prosperity be joyful,
and in times of trouble
consider;
God has made the one as well as
the other,
so that a person cannot
discover anything that comes after him.
15 I have seen many
things in my futile days:
a righteous person who
perishes in his righteousness,
and a wicked person
who lives long in his evildoing.
16 Do not be overly
righteous,
or attempt to be overly wise;
why should you
destroy yourself?
17 Be not overly
wicked,
and do not be a fool;
why should you
die before your time?
18 It is good
that you should take hold of this,
without letting go of the
other,
for the one
who fears God shall avoid all of these extremes.
19 Wisdom gives strength
to the wise man
more than ten rulers in a
city.
20 Surely there
is not a righteous person on earth,
who only does good and never
sins.
21 Do not obsess
over everything people say,
lest you hear your servant
curse you,
22 for you know
in your own heart
how many times you
yourself have cursed others.
23 All this I have
tested by wisdom,
I said, "I will be
wise,"
but it was far
from me.
24 That which exists,
is far off and exceeding
deep,
who can figure
it out?
25 I focused my
heart to know and to search out,
and to seek wisdom and the
scheme of things,
and to understand how wickedness
is folly,
and how foolishness is
madness.
26 I find more
bitter than death,
the woman who is a snare,
and whose heart is a trap,
whose hands
are like chains.
Whoever pleases God will escape
from her,
but the sinner will be caught
by her.
27 Look, this is
what I have discovered, says the Teacher,
adding one thing to
another
attempting to
figure out the scheme of things,
28 which my soul continually
sought,
but I have not found.
I found only one upright man out
of a thousand,
but I have not found a single
upright woman among them all.
29 This is the
only thing I have discovered:
God made man upright;
but they have sought
out many schemes.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 8
1 Who is like the
wise?
Who knows the
interpretation of a thing?
Wisdom makes a person's face to
shine,
and softens the stern hardness
of his face.
2 Obey the
king's command,
because you took an oath
of loyalty before God.
3 Do not be too
quick to leave his presence,
do not stand up for an
evil cause,
for he can do whatever
he wants to.
4 For the king's
word has authority,
who can say to him,
"What are
you doing?"
5 Whoever obeys a
command will experience no harm,
a wise heart knows the
right time and solution.
6 For every issue
has its right time and solution,
even though the misery of
man weighs heavy on him.
7 For no one knows
what will be,
so who can tell him what
will happen?
8 There is no one
with the power to restrain the wind,
neither does anyone have
power over the day of death,
and there is no one discharged in
time of war,
neither can wickedness rescue
anyone who practices it.
9 All this have
I seen, as I applied my heart to everything that is done under the sun;
sometimes one person dominates another to his own hurt.
10 So too I saw
the wicked honorably buried and those who used to go in and out of the holy place
and are now praised in the city for what they have done. This also is futility.
11 When a sentence
against a crime is not executed quickly, the human heart will be encouraged to
do evil.
12 Even though a
sinner does evil a hundred times, and still lives a long life, yet surely I
know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they stand before
him in fear.
13 But it will
not go well for the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow;
because he does not stand in fear before God.
14 Here is another
futility that happens on earth: there are righteous people who get what wicked
deserve; similarly, there are wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. I
said that this too is futility.
15 So I commend enjoyment,
because there is nothing better for a person under the sun, than to eat, drink
and to be happy, for this will stick with a person in his toil all the days of
his life that God has given him under the sun.
16 When I applied
my heart to know wisdom, and to see the toil that is done on the earth, for
people's eyes do not get any sleep day or night,
17 then I saw all
the work of God, that one cannot figure out what is happening under the sun. However much a person strives to search it
out, yet he cannot discover its meaning; even though the wise thinks he knows,
yet he really cannot understand it.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 9
1 So I thought
about this, examining it all. The
righteous and the wise along with their deeds, are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, no one knows
which is ahead of them.
2 Everyone shares
the same fate,
the righteous and the
wicked,
the good and the bad,
the ceremonially clean and
unclean,
the one who sacrifices and
the one who does not.
What happens to the good,
also happens to the
sinner;
and the same for one who makes
a vow,
as the one who afraid to
make a vow.
3 This is a
calamity in all that is done under the sun, that the same fate happens to all. The
heart of everyone is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they
live, after that they too go to the dead.
4 For whoever is joined with the living has
hope;
for a live dog
is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they will die,
but the dead
know nothing.
They have no more reward,
for even the
memory of them fades.
6 Their love,
as well as their
hatred and envy
have
already perished;
never again will they have
part in anything
that happens
under the sun.
7 Go your way,
eat your bread with joy,
and drink your wine with a
happy heart,
for God has
already approved of what you do.
8 Let your
garments always be white,
and let not your head lack
oil.
9 Live joyfully
with the wife whom you love all the days of your futile life that God has given
you under the sun, all your futile days.
For that is your lot in life and your laborious vocation under the sun.
10 Whatever your
hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for there is neither work or planning,
or knowledge, or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
11 I again
observed under the sun:
the race is not to the
swift,
or the battle
to the strong,
or bread to the wise,
or wealth to
the intelligent,
or yet favor
to the skillful;
but time and chance happen
to all.
12 For no one knows
when his time will come:
Like fish caught in a fatal
net,
or birds trapped
in a snare,
so are humans snared by
evil times,
when it suddenly
falls on them.
13 I have also
seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed significant to me.
14 There was a
little city, with few people in it. A
great king came against it, and besieged it, and built great siege works against
it.
15 Now there was
found in it a poor wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom; yet no
one remembered that poor man.
16 So I said, "Wisdom
is better than strength."
But a poor man's wisdom is
despised,
and his words
are not listened to.
17 Better are the words of the wise heard
in quiet
than the shouts
of him who rules over fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner
destroys much good.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 10
1 As dead flies
cause the perfumer's ointment to stink,
so too a little folly can
spoil much wisdom and honor.
2 A wise heart guides
to the right,
but a fool's heart misguides
to the left.
3 Even when the
fool walks down the road, he lacks sense,
and declares to everyone how
foolish he really is.
4 If the ruler's
anger flares up against you,
do not abandon your post;
for calmness can undo big mistakes.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the
sun,
it is the type of error a
ruler makes:
6 fools are set
in many high positions,
and the rich sit in lowly
positions.
7 I have seen slaves
riding on horses,
and princes walking on
foot like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,
and whoever breaks through
a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever hews
out stones may be hurt by them,
and whoever splits wood may
be endangered by it.
10 If an iron ax is blunt,
and one does not sharpen
the blade,
then he must exert more strength,
but wisdom helps one
succeed.
11 If a serpent bites before it is charmed,
then is there no benefit
for the charmer.
12 The words of a
wise man's mouth win him favor,
but a fool is consumed by
his own lips.
13 The words of
his mouth begin with foolishness,
and his talk ends with destructive
madness.
14 A fool multiplies
words,
even though no one knows
what will happen;
and who can tell what future awaits him?
15 The fool's work
wears them out,
for he does not even know the
way to town.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a
child,
and your princes feast in
the morning!
17 Happy are you,
O land, when your king is the son of nobleman,
and your princes feast at
the proper time,
for strength,
and not for drunkenness!
18 By laziness the roof sags,
and because of idle hands
the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
wine makes life happy,
and money is
the answer for everything.
20 Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich even in your
bedroom,
for a bird of the air may carry your
voice,
and something with wings may
report the matter.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 11
1 Send your bread
across the sea,
for after many days you may
gain a return from it.
2 Divide your
investments seven ways, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster
may happen on earth.
3 If the clouds are
full of rain,
they empty themselves on
the earth,
if a tree falls to the south or to
the north,
in the place where the
tree falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever holds
out for the perfect wind will not sow,
and whoever watches the
clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you do
not know the way of the wind,
or how the bones grow in a
mother's womb,
even so you do
not know the work of God who makes everything.
6 In the morning
sow your seed,
and in the evening do not
stop working,
for you do not know which will prosper,
whether this one or that
one,
or whether both will be equally profitable.
7 Light is
sweet,
and it is a pleasure for
the eyes to see the sun.
8 If a person lives
many years,
let him rejoice in them
all;
but let him also remember the
days of darkness,
for they will be many.
All that comes is futility.
9 Rejoice, O
young man, in your youth,
and let your heart cheer you
in the days of your youth.
Follow in the ways of your heart,
and the desires of your
eyes;
but be aware that for all these
things
God will bring you into
judgment.
10 Banish worry
from your heart,
and put away pain from your
flesh,
for childhood
and youth are fleeting.
DASV:
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your
Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of bodily trouble
come,
and the years draw nigh,
when you will lament, "I
have no pleasure in them;"
2 before the
sun, and the light,
and the moon, and the stars
are darkened,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 in the day
when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men are
bent over,
and the grinders cease because
they are few,
and those who look through
windows grow dark;
4 and the doors to
the street are shut;
when the sound of the
grinding fades,
and one rises early with the sound
of a bird,
yet all their songs are
faint;
5 when one
becomes afraid of heights,
and terrors lurk in the street;
and the almond tree blossoms,
and the grasshopper drags
itself along,
and desire fails;
because man goes to his
everlasting home,
and the mourners go about
the streets;
6 before the
silver cord is snapped,
and the golden bowl is
broken,
and the pitcher is broken at the
fountain,
and the wheel broken at
the cistern,
7 and the dust
returns to the earth as it was,
and the spirit returns to
God who gave it.
8 Vanity of
vanities, says the Teacher [Qohelet];
all is vanity.
9 Besides being
wise, the Teacher also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, and searched out,
and arranged many proverbs.
10 The Teacher searched
to find delightful words, and write true sayings precisely.
11 The words of
the wise are like goads;
like nails firmly fixed in
collected sayings,
given from one
shepherd.
12 Beware of
anything beyond them, my son,
of the making many books
there is no end;
and much study
wearies the body.
13 Now that all
has been heard,
here is the conclusion:
fear God, and
keep his commandments;
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will
bring every deed into judgment,
including everything that
is hidden,
whether it is
good or bad.