Ecclesiastes, or The Preacher - Ferrar Fenton Bible Translation page 882

2-2 3--3

2 I said of laughter, it is mad ;—aud of mirth,-—what does it accomplish ? 3 I intentionally tried to cmbolden my body by wine,——with my intellect

4 scientifically guiding me,—a.nd to seize upon folly until I could discover what was best for the children of Adam to do under the sun, for the number ofthe days they lived? I-extended my operations,-I built

myself houses; I planted myself viue· yards; I made gardens and parks; and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. I made myself pools and brooks, to water from them a forest of shadowy trees. I purchased men and women servants, and they had children in my house. I also had herds of cattle and greet fiocks,—more than all who were behe me in ]erusalem,-—I accumu— lamd for myself silver and gold, and royal treasures from my provinces. I had men and women singers trained for myself, with men and women waiters,—···the luxuries of the sons of

9 Adam. Thus I enlarged and increased myself more than all that were before me in }erasalem.—My scientinc idea,

io however, remained with me.——But anything that my eyes demanded I withheld not from them; nor did I restrain my heart from any pleasure; for my heart rejoiced in all my endeavours ;——and that was my reward for all my eEorts. :1 But when I reflected on all the work that my hands had done, and all the things I had striven to accom- p1ish,~·—-·then I saw they were vanity of vanity, and vexation of spirit! and they had no result under the sun! 12 Then I reflected, and examined my Science, and Madness, and Folly! And what kind of man would

succeed the King? With what he might be able todo?-·~'1`hen I saw that there is a result to Science, more than to Ignorance, as there is a result to Light, more than to Dark- ness,-··For the eyes of the Instructed are in his head ;-the Ignorant goes in Darkness ;—-but yet I perceived myself also, that one event happens to all of them. As it

happens to the Ignorant, so it will also happen to me !—-Then why am ?— I more instructed than the rest So I mid in my mind that also is useless! for there is no more remem- brance of the Instructed than of the Ignorant in the grave for ever! In the times to come, all will be for- gotten l For does not the Instructed die like the Ignorant ?' Therefore I hated life! since all

the work I had done under the sun was a grief to mel For it was utterly useless, and a vexation of spirit. I also hated all my works,—that I had striven for under the sun, for I must leave them to the man after me; and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will rule over all the things for which I have labouredh 16 18 the sun l-—'I`ha.t also is vanity! So I abandoned my mind to despair

over all the objects I had attempted under the sun. For a man may work with science, and knowledge, and skill,-·——but must, leave the result to a man who has not earned it! That, also, is vanily, and a great grief !——For what continues to a man from all his endeavours, and from all the efforts of his mind, that he has striven for, under the sun? Where all his days are griefs, and his efforts sorrows, and his mind does not rest at night !——This alsois vanity ! There is no benefit to a man to

eat and drink and let his mini expect pleasure from his labour. Yet I myself saw that this comes from the hand of Gon Himself. For who could eat, and who excite himself more than I ?——For to the man who pleases HIM, He gives science, and knowledge and plea.· sure; but to the offender He gives the trouble to gather and accumu- late, to give the product to the pleasing before GOD.-—'I`his, however, is vanity, and vexation of spirit! Lacrmzn 3. Un the Regular §zri¤hiritg uf the Islas uf Gzinlzncz. There is a period for every purpose, And for every desire under the sun. A time for birth, and a time for death ; A time to plant, and a time to uproot; A time to wound, and a time to cure 882 20 2 I 22 26