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5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment, and a babbler is no better.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself:

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning.

17 Blessed art thou, O land,

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when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness.

18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth, and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

LESSON XCII.

CAST thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

2 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.

3 If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

4 He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not

reap.

5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the works of God, who maketh all.

6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening with

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hold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.

¶ 7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun :

8 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all: yet let him remember the days of darkness; for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.

9 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement.

10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh for childhood and youth are vanity.

LESSON XCIII.

REMEMBER now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in 'them;

2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;

3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease, because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened :

4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low; and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high; and fears shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

¶8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher: all is vanity.

9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

13 Let us hear the conclu

sion of the whole matter: Fear 14 For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

God, and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.

SECTION XVIII.-Trust in God.

LESSON XCIV.

THE Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thouanointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

12 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption.

13 Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

¶ 14 I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

15 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

16 O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

17 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from my fears.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the all : house of the Lord for ever.

7 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

8 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

9 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: the Lord is my portion, therefore will I hope in him.

10 I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

11 Therefore my heart is glad,

18 O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

19 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

20 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

21 They looked unto him, and were lightened; and their faces were not ashamed.

¶22 O fear the Lord, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.

23 The young lions do lack,

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27 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.

28 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

29 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

30 Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgement cometh from the Lord.

31 Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the Lord, and he shall save thee.

32 When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

LESSON XCV.

HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the reward of the wicked.

¶9 Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.

15 Take heed, and be quiet: fear not, neither be faint-hearted.

16 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

17 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep

4 He shall cover thee with shall be sweet.

18. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 19 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

¶20 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

21 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

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23 Are the consolations of God small with thee? mourn not, nor weep: neither be thou sorry, for the joy of the Lord is thy strength.

24 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small. 25 Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame.

26 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

27 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

28 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

29 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

30 Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion.

LESSON XCVI.

THUS saith the Lord, Woe unto the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord:

2 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land, and not inhabited.

3 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is :

4 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh: but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

5 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not, I will help thee.

6 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

7 Fear not: I will help thee, saith the Lord and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

8 Because thou hast set thy love upon me, therefore will I deliver thee: I will set thee on high, because thou hast known my name.

9 Thou shalt call upon me, and I will answer thee: I will be with thee in trouble; I will deliver thee, and honour thee.

10 With long life will I sa

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