Ecclesiastes 10:4–6

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.

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

¹³There is a sore euill which I haue seene vnder the Sun, namely riches kept for the owners therof to their hurt.

¹THERE is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:

¹¶ There is an euill which I haue seen vnder the Sun, and it is common among men:

¹⁶¶ And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

¹⁶¶ And moreouer, I sawe vnder the Sunne the place of iudgement, that wickednesse was there; and the place of righteousnesse, that iniquitie was there.

¹SO I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

¹¶ ^*†So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done vnder the sunne; & behold the teares of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter: and on the side of their oppressours there was power, but they had no comforter.

⁷¶ Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.

⁷¶ Then I returned, and I saw vanitie vnder the Sunne.

³This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

³This is an euill among all things that are done vnder the Sunne, that there is one euent vnto all: yea also the heart of the sonnes of men is full of euill, and madnesse is in their heart while they liue, and after that they goe to the dead.

¹²When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.

^12*‖When righteous men do reioyce, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.

²When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.

^2*‖When the righteous are in authoritie, the people reioyce: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourne.

¹AFTER these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

¹¶ After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman, the sonne of Amedatha the Agagite, and aduanced him, and set his seate aboue all the princes that were with him.

⁸The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

^8†The wicked walke on euery side, when the vilest men are exalted.

¹³And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him;

¹⁴And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

¹³And the king answered the people ^†roughly, and forsooke the old mens counsell that they gaue him:

¹⁴And spake to them after the counsell of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heauy, and I will adde to your yoke; my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

²⁸When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.

^28*When the wicked rise, men hide themselues: but when they perish, the righteous increase.

¹⁴Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us.

¹⁵And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

¹⁶Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands;

¹⁷(For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian:

¹⁸And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

¹⁹If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you:

²⁰But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech.

¹⁴Then said all the trees vnto the ^‖Bramble, Come thou, and reigne ouer vs.

¹⁵And the Bramble said vnto the trees, If in trueth ye anoint me King ouer you, then come, and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the Bramble, and deuoure the Cedars of Lebanon.

¹⁶Now therefore, if yee haue done truely and sincerely, in that yee haue made Abimelech King, and if yee haue dealt well with Ierubbaal, and his house, and haue done vnto him according to the deseruing of his hands:

¹⁷(For my father fought for you, and ^†aduentured his life farre, and deliuered you out of the hand of Midian:

¹⁸And yee are risen vp against my fathers house this day, and haue slaine his sonnes, threescore aud ten persons, vpon one stone, and haue made Abimelech the sonne of his maidseruant, king ouer the men of Shechem, because he is your brother.)

¹⁹If yee then haue dealt truely and sincerely with Ierubbaal, and with his house this day, then reioyce yee in Abimelech, aud let him also reioyce in you.

²⁰But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and deuoure the men of Shechem and the house of Millo: and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and deuoure Abimeleeh.

³And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:

⁴Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

⁵Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

³And yee haue respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say vnto him, Sit thou here ^‖in a good place: and say to the poore, Stand thou there, or sit here vnder my footstoole:

⁴Are yee not then partiall in your selues, and are become iudges of euill thoughts?

⁵Hearken, my beloued brethren, Hath not God chosen the poore of this world, rich in faith, and heires of ^‖the kingdome, which hee hath promised to them that loue him?