Ecclesiastes 11

1 Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find it after many days.2 Give a portion to seven, yea, even unto 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 a tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it 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 wind, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child; even so thou knowest not the work of God who doeth all.6 In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, whether 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 Yea, if a man live many years, let him rejoice in them all; but 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 thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.10 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, 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 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 shall be darkened,4 and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;5 yea, they shall be afraid of that which is high, and terrors shall be in the way; and the almond-tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goeth to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:6 before the silver cord is loosed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,7 and the dust returneth to the earth as it was, and the spirit returneth unto God who gave it.8 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.9 And further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written uprightly, even words of truth.11 The words of the wise are as goads; and as nails well fastened are the words of the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.12 And furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.13 This is the end of the matter; all hath been heard: fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Song of Solomon 1

1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.

3 Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is as oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee.

4 Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee.

5 I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.

6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother’s sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; But mine own vineyard have I not kept.

7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest thy flock, Where thou makest it to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions?

8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.

9 I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.

10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits of hair, Thy neck with strings of jewels.

11 We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver.

12 While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance.

13 My beloved is unto me as a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts.

14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi.

15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are as doves.

16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green.

17 The beams of our house are cedars, And our rafters are firs.