Ecclesiastes 10:2–4

¹⁸And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

²⁰But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

¹⁸And he said, This will I doe, I will pull downe my barnes, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits, and my goods.

¹⁹And I will say to my soule, Soule, thou hast much goods layd vp for many yeeres, take thine ease, eate, drinke, and be merry.

²⁰But God said vnto him, Thou foole, this night ^†thy soule shal be required of thee: then whose shal those things be which thou hast prouided?

¹⁴A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

^14*†*A foole also is full of words; a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall bee after him who can tell him?

¹⁰If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

¹⁰If the yron be blunt, and he doe not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisedome is profitable to direct.

²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

²⁹Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

³⁰Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

³¹Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

³²Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

²⁸For which of you intending to build a towre, sitteth not downe first, and counteth the cost, whether he haue sufficient to finish it?

²⁹Lest haply after hee hath laide the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it, begin to mock him,

³⁰Saying, This man beganne to build, and was not able to finish.

³¹Or what king going to make war against another king, sitteth not downe first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand, to meete him that commeth against him with twentie thousand?

³²Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, hee sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

⁸The wisedome of the prudent is to vnderstand his way: but the folly of fooles is deceit.

¹⁶Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

¹⁶Wherfore is there a price in the hand of a foole to get wisedome, seeing he hath no heart to it?

¹⁰Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

¹⁰Whatsoeuer thy hand findeth to doe, doe it with thy might: for there is no worke, nor deuice, nor knowledge, nor wisedome in the graue, whither thou goest.

²A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

²A foole hath no delight in vnderstanding, but that his heart may discouer it selfe.

¹⁶Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

^16*†Euery prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a foole layeth open his folly.

⁴Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

⁴Wherein they thinke it strange, that you runne not with them to the same excesse of riot, speaking euil of you:

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

³For a dreame commeth through the multitude of businesse, and a fooles voyce is knowen by multitude of words.

⁶A fool’s lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

⁶A fooles lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

¹⁵By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

^15*By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

³Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him.

³Bee not hastie to goe out of his sight: stand not in an euill thing, for he doeth whatsoeuer pleaseth him.

²⁴And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

²⁵Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

²⁷And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

²⁸I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

²⁹Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

³⁰And it shall come to pass, when the Lord shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;

³¹That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the Lord shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

³²¶ And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:

³³And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

³⁴For in very deed, as the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

³⁵So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.

³⁶¶ And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

³⁷But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

³⁹¶ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

⁴⁰And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

⁴¹And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.

⁴²And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

⁴³David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.

⁴⁴¶ But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.

²⁴And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, vpon me let this iniquitie be, and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speake in thine ^†audience, and heare the words of thine handmaid.

²⁵Let not my lord, I pray thee, ^†regard this man of Belial, euen Nabal: for as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: But I thine handmaid saw not the yong men of my lord, whom thou didst send.

²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liueth, and as thy soule liueth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from comming to shed blood, and from ^†auenging thy selfe with thine owne hand: now let thine enemies and they that secke euill to my lord, bee as Nabal.

²⁷And now this ^‖blessing which thine handmaid hath brought vnto my lord, let it euen be giuen vnto the yong men that ^†follow my lord.

²⁸I pray thee, forgiue the trespasse of thine handmaide: for the LORD will certainely make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battels of the LORD, and euill hath not bene found in thee all thy dayes.

²⁹Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seeke thy soule: but the soule of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God, and the soules of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, ^† as out of the middle of a sling.

³⁰And it shall come to passe when the LORD shal haue done to my lord, according to all the good that hee hath spoken concerning thee, and shall haue appointed thee ruler ouer Israel;

³¹That this shall bee no ^†griefe vnto thee, nor offence of heart vnto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelesse, or that my lord hath auenged himselfe: But when the LORD shall haue dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmayd.

³²¶ And Dauid sayd to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me.

³³And blessed bee thy aduice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from comming to shed blood, and from auenging my selfe with mine owne hand.

³⁴For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liueth, which hath kept mee backe from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not bene left vnto Nabal, by the morning light, any that pisseth against the wall.

³⁵So Dauid receiued of her hand that which shee had brought him, and sayd vnto her, Goe vp in peace to thine house; See, I haue hearkened to thy voyce, and haue accepted thy person.

³⁶¶ And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king; & Nabals heart was merry within him, for hee was very drunken: wherefore shee tolde him nothing, lesse or more, vntill the morning light.

³⁷But it came to passe in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

³⁸And it came to passe about ten dayes after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

³⁹¶ And when Dauid heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproch from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his seruant from euil: for the LORD hath returned the wickednesse of Nabal vpon his owne head. And Dauid sent, and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

⁴⁰And when the seruants of Dauid were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake vnto her, saying, Dauid sent vs vnto thee, to take thee to him to wife.

⁴¹And shee arose, and bowed her selfe on her face to the earth, and sayd, Beholde, let thine handmayd bee a seruant to wash the feet of the seruants of my lord.

⁴²And Abigail hasted, and rose, and rode vpon an asse, with fiue damosels of hers that went ^†after her; and she went after the messengers of Dauid, and became his wife.

⁴³Dauid also tooke Ahinoam ^*of Iezreel, and they were also both of them his wiues.

⁴⁴¶ But Saul had giuen ^*Michal his daughter, Dauids wife, to Phalti the sonne of Laish, which was of Gallim.