The Skeptics Annotated Bible (516 page)

(4.9-12) “Two are better than one” —the value of friendship.

9
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

(4.9)
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”

10
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

(4.10)
“For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

11 Again,
if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

(4.11)
“If two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?”

12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

(4.12)
“If one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

13
Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king
, who will no more be admonished.

(4.13)
“Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king.”

14 For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

15 I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.

16 There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

5
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for
God is in heaven
, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

(5.2) “God is in heaven.”
296 Where does god dwell?

3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and
a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

(5.3) “A fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.”

4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?

7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but
fear thou God.

(5.7)
“Fear thou God.”
132 Should we fear God?

8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

(5.10) “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.”

11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15
As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

(5.15) “As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.”

16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

18 Behold that which I have seen:
it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life
, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

(5.18) “It is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life.”

19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

6
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

2 A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

(6.3-6)