New English [1970], THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE) [word count] [B16000].
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1 Hard work is the lot of every man,
and a heavy yoke is laid on the sons of Adam,
from the day when they come from their mothers' womb
until the day of their return to the mother of all;
2 troubled thoughts and fears are theirs,
and anxious expectation of the day of their death.
3 Whether a man sits in royal splendour on a throne
or grovels in dust and ashes,
4 whether he wears the purple and a crown
or is clothed in sackcloth,
5 his life is nothing but anger and jealousy, worry and perplexity,
fear of death, and guilt, and rivalry.
Even when he goes to bed at night,
sleep only brings to mind the same things in a new form.
6 His rest is little or nothing;
he begins to struggle as hard in his sleep as in the day. note
Disturbed by nightmares,
he fancies himself a fugitive from the battlefield;
7 and at the moment when he reaches safety, he wakes up,
astonished to find his fears groundless.
8 To all living creatures, man and beast—
and seven times over to sinners—
9 come death and bloodshed, quarrel and sword,
disaster, famine, ruin, and plague.
10 All these were created for the wicked,
and on their account the flood happened.
11 All that is of earth returns to earth again,
and all that is of water finds its way back to the sea.
12 Bribery and injustice will all vanish,
but good faith will last for ever.
13 The wealth of the wicked will dry up like a torrent
and die away like a great roll of thunder in a storm.
14 As a generous man will have cause for rejoicing,
so law-breakers will come to utter ruin.
15 The shoots of an impious stock put out few branches;
their tainted roots are planted on sheer rock.
-- --
Man is society
16 The rush that grows on every river-bank
is pulled up before any other grass,
17 but kindness is like a luxuriant garden,
and almsgiving lasts for ever.
18 To be employed and to be one's own master, both are sweet,
but it is better still to find a treasure.
19 Offspring and the founding of a city perpetuate a man's name,
but better still is a perfect wife.
20 Wine and music gladden the heart,
but better still is the love of wisdom.
21 Flute and harp make pleasant melody,
but better still is a pleasant voice.
22 A man likes to see grace and beauty,
but better still the green shoots in a cornfield.
23 A friend or companion is always welcome,
but better still to be man and wife.
24 Brothers and helpers are a stand-by in time of trouble,
but better still is almsgiving.
25 Gold and silver make a man stand firm,
but better still is good advice.
26 Wealth and strength make for confidence,
but better still is the fear of the Lord.
To fear the Lord is to lack nothing
and never to be in need of support.
27 The fear of the Lord is like a luxuriant garden;
it shelters a man better than any riches.
28 My son, do not live the life of a beggar;
it is better to die than to beg.
29 When a man starts looking to another man's table,
his existence is not worth calling life.
It is demoralizing to live on another man's food,
and a wise, well-disciplined man will guard against it.
30 When a man has lost all shame, he speaks as if begging were sweet,
but inside him there is a blazing fire.
New English [1970], THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE (OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS; CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE) [word count] [B16000].
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