28 The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous are bold as a lion.^(A)

² When a land transgresses, it has many rulers, but when the ruler is a man of discernment, understanding, and knowledge, its stability will long continue.

³ A poor man who oppresses the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaves no food [plundering them of their last morsels].^(B)

⁴ Those who forsake the law [of God and man] praise the wicked, but those who keep the law [of God and man] contend with them.^(C)

⁵ Evil men do not understand justice, but they who crave and seek the Lord understand it fully.^(D)

⁶ Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity than he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways, though he is rich.

⁷ Whoever keeps the law [of God and man] is a wise son, but he who is a companion of gluttons and the carousing, self-indulgent, and extravagant shames his father.

⁸ He who by charging excessive interest and who by unjust efforts to get gain increases his material possession gathers it for him [to spend] who is kind and generous to the poor.^(E)

⁹ He who turns away his ear from hearing the law [of God and man], even his prayer is an abomination, hateful and revolting [to God].^(F)

¹⁰ Whoever leads the upright astray into an evil way, he will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance.

¹¹ The rich man is wise in his own eyes and conceit, but the poor man who has understanding will find him out.

¹² When the [uncompromisingly] righteous triumph, there is great glory and celebration; but when the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves.

¹³ He who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes his sins will obtain mercy.^(G)

¹⁴ Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently and worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

¹⁵ Like a roaring lion or a ravenous and charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people.

¹⁶ A ruler who lacks understanding is [like a wicked one] a great oppressor, but he who hates covetousness and unjust gain shall prolong his days.

¹⁷ If a man willfully sheds the blood of a person [and keeps the guilt of murder upon his conscience], he is fleeing to the pit (the grave) and hastening to his own destruction; let no man stop him!

¹⁸ He who walks uprightly shall be safe, but he who willfully goes in double and wrong ways shall fall in one of them.

¹⁹ He who cultivates his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless people and pursuits will have poverty enough.

²⁰ A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich [at any cost] shall not go unpunished.^(H)

²¹ To have respect of persons and to show partiality is not good, neither is it good that man should transgress for a piece of bread.

²² He who has an evil and covetous eye hastens to be rich and knows not that want will come upon him.^(I)

²³ He who rebukes a man shall afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴ Whoever robs his father or his mother and says, This is no sin—he is in the same class as [an open, lawless robber and] a destroyer.

²⁵ He who is of a greedy spirit stirs up strife, but he who puts his trust in the Lord shall be enriched and blessed.

²⁶ He who leans on, trusts in, and is confident of his own mind and heart is a [self-confident] fool, but he who walks in skillful and godly Wisdom shall be delivered.^(J)

²⁷ He who gives to the poor will not want, but he who hides his eyes [from their want] will have many a curse.^(K)

²⁸ When the wicked rise [to power], men hide themselves; but when they perish, the [consistently] righteous increase and become many.^(L)

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem.

² Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities, says the Preacher. Vapor of vapors and futility of futilities! All is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and vainglory).^(A)

³ What profit does man have left from all his toil at which he toils ^[a]under the sun? [Is life worth living?]

⁴ One generation goes and another generation comes, but the earth remains forever.^(B)

⁵ The sun also rises and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.

⁶ The wind goes to the south and circles about to the north; it circles and circles about continually, and on its circuit the wind returns again.^(C)

⁷ All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place from which the rivers come, to there and from there they return again.

⁸ All things are weary with toil and all words are feeble; man cannot utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.^(D)

⁹ The thing that has been—it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.

¹⁰ Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been, in the vast ages of time [recorded or unrecorded] which were before us.

¹¹ There is no remembrance of former happenings or men, neither will there be any remembrance of happenings of generations that are to come by those who are to come after them.

¹² I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem.

¹³ And I applied myself by heart and mind to seek and search out by [human] ^[b]wisdom all human activity under heaven. It is a miserable business which ^[c]God has given to the sons of man with which to busy themselves.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity, a striving after the wind and a feeding on wind.

¹⁵ What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is defective and lacking cannot be counted.

¹⁶ I entered into counsel with my own mind, saying, Behold, I have acquired great [human] wisdom, yes, more than all who have been over Jerusalem before me; and my mind has had great experience of [moral] wisdom and [scientific] knowledge.

¹⁷ And I gave my mind to know [practical] wisdom and to discern [the character of] madness and folly [in which men seem to find satisfaction]; I perceived that this also is a searching after wind and a feeding on it.^(E)

¹⁸ For in much [human] wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

¹⁴ And when the hour came, [Jesus] reclined at table, and the apostles with Him.

¹⁵ And He said to them, I have earnestly and intensely desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

¹⁶ For I say to you, I shall eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

¹⁷ And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He said, Take this and divide and distribute it among yourselves;

¹⁸ For I say to you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine at all until the kingdom of God comes.

¹⁹ Then He took a loaf [of bread], and when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and gave it to them saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.

²⁰ And in like manner, He took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament or covenant [ratified] in My blood, which is shed (poured out) for you.

²¹ But, behold, the hand of him who ^[a]is now engaged in betraying Me is with Me on the table.^(A)

²² For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined and appointed, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed and delivered up!

²³ And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was who was about to do this.^(B)