shall gladden thee, and do good to thy soul.

When the prophecy is ended, the people become wild and desolate: but he that keepeth the law is well pleased.

A servant cannot be chastened with words: for though he understands, yet he accepteth not.

When thou seest one quick to speak, there is more hope in a fool than in him.

If a servant be kept tenderly from his youth, he will afterward be a squire.

An angry man causeth strife, and a fierce man doeth much sin.

The pride of man shall overthrow him: but the humble shall receive glory.

He that hath part with thieves, and heareth cursing, and saith it not, hath hated his life.

To be afraid of man is a fall: but he that trusteth in the LORD is preserved.

Many seek the face of a prince: but every man’s judgment is of the LORD.

An unrighteous man is an abomination to the righteous: and he that is of the right way is an abomination to the wicked.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 30
Solomon’s confession and prayer.

These are the words of Agur the son of Jake, the doctrine and speech of the man Leithiel, Leithiel and Uchal.

for I am the most foolish, and common sense is not with me.

I have not learned wisdom, neither know I what is holy.

Who flieth up to heaven, and who flieth down? Who taketh hold of the wind in his hands?
Who bindeth the waters in a garment? Who hath made all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Do you know?

all the words of God are purified and are a shield to those who trust in Him.

Do nothing to his words, lest he punish thee, and thou be found false.

Two things I ask of thee, which thou wilt not deny me before I die; 8. Let idolatry and falsehood be far from me: poverty and riches give me not: but let me take my humble portion of meat.

Or else, if I be too full, I will deny, saying, Who is the LORD? Or where I would be poor, I would steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

Betray not the servant against his lord: for he will curse thee, and thou shalt bear the iniquity.

it is a kind that curses its father and does not bless its mother; 12. a kind that thinks itself pure, and yet is not washed from its excrement; 13. a species that carries its eyes high and holds its eyelids up; 14. A kind having swords for teeth, which eateth with their molars, and devoureth the wretched of the land, and the poor of the people.

The hedgehog hath two daughters: bring hither, bring hither. Three things are not to be sated, and the fourth speaketh not: it is enough:

Hell, the mother of women shut up, the earth is not filled with water, and the fire saith not, It is enough.

An eye that mocketh the father, and despiseth to obey the mother, that must the ravens peck out by the brook, and the young eagles eat.

Three things are too strange for me, and the fourth I know not: 19. The way of the eagle in heaven, the way of the serpent upon a rock, the way of the ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man by a maid.

So is the way of the adulteress: she devoureth, and wipeeth her mouth, saying, I have done no evil.

A land is troubled by three things, and the fourth may not bear it: 22. A servant when he becomes king; a fool when he is too full;

A hostile woman when she is married, and a maid when she is heir to her wives.

four are small in the earth, and wiser than the wise:

The ants, a weak race, yet they create their food in summer; 26. rabbit, a weak nation, yet it lays its house in the rock;

locusts have no king, yet they move out with whole heaps;

The spider works with his hands and is in the kings’ castles.

Three things have a fine course, and the fourth pray well:

The lion, mighty among the beasts, and turneth not back before any; 31. a wind of good loins; and a ram; and the king, against whom no man may lie down.

If thou hast been deceitful, or if thou hast gone up too high, or if thou hast done evil, put thy hand upon thy mouth.

If a man putteth milk, he maketh it butter; and he that bloweth the nose, he bringeth forth blood; and he that provoketh wrath, he bringeth forth strife.
(Proverbs)
Chapter 31
In praise of a virtuous woman.

These are the words of king Lamuel, the doctrine which his mother taught him: 2. Ah, my chosen one, ah, thou son of my womb, ah, my desired son, 3. Leave not thy substance unto women, neither walk thou in the ways wherein kings corrupt themselves.

O, not to kings, Lamuel, give not wine to the kings to drink, nor strong drink to the princes.

they want to drink and forget the rights and change the cause of some wretched people.

Give strong drink to them that shall perish, and wine to the afflicted souls, 7. That they may drink, and forget their miseries, and remember their calamities no more.

Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the cause of all that are forsaken.

Open thy mouth, and judge righteously, and avenge the wretched and the poor.

To whom a virtuous woman is given, she is far more precious than the most precious pearls.

Her husband’s heart may rely upon her, and food shall not fail him.

She loveth him, and harmeth him not all his days.

She handleeth wool and flax, and worketh gladly with her hands.

she is like a merchant ship that brings its food from afar.

She riseth up by night, and giveth food to her house, and meat to her maidens.

she thinks of .a field and buys it and plants a vineyard from the fruit of her hands.

She girdeth up her loins, and strengtheneth her arms.

She perceiveth how her commerce bringeth piety: her lamp goeth not out by night.

She stretcheth forth her hand toward the skirt, and her fingers grasp the spindle.

She stretcheth out her hands to the poor, and giveth her hand to the needy.

She feareth not the snow from her house: for all her house hath twofold garments.

She maketh her own covering; white silk and purple is her garment.

Her husband is renowned in the gates, when he sitteth with the elders of the land.

She maketh a skirt, and selleth it: one girdle she giveth to the grocer.

Her ornament is that she is clean and diligent; and she shall laugh afterward.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and upon her tongue is blessed doctrine.

She looketh on the things of her house, and eateth not her bread with sloth.

Her sons arise, and call her blessed; her husband praiseth her.

Many daughters bring wealth; but thou excellest them all.

To be lovely and beautiful is nothing; a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

She shall be praised by the fruits of her hands; and her works shall she praise in the gates.
Text of the unrevised Luther Bible 1545:
DeepL English Translation
[Processed by BackToLuther. German text published here.]
The Preacher Solomon (Ecclesiastes) ^
Chapter 1
Man is not blissful in his earthly wisdom, but vain.

These are the sayings of Ecclesiastes, the son of David king of Jerusalem.

It is all vanity, said the preacher, it is all vanity.

What hath man more of all his toil that he hath under the sun?

One generation passeth away, and another cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

The sun riseth, and setteth, and returneth to his place, and riseth there again.

The wind goeth toward the south, and cometh round about the north, and returneth again to the place where it began.

All the waters go into the sea, neither is the sea filled: in the place whence they flow, they flow again.

All the work is so full of trouble, that no man is able to speak. The eye never sees enough, and the ear never hears enough.

What is it that is come to pass? The very thing that is hereafter to come to pass. What is that which is done? The same that shall be done hereafter: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Doth any thing happen of which it may be said, Behold, this is new? For it was also done before, in times past, which were before us.

They remember not those things which are before: neither shall they remember those things which are after in those things which are hereafter.

I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

And I gave my heart to search and search wisely all that is done under heaven. God has given the children of men such unhappy trouble that they have to toil in it.

I looked upon all that is done under the sun, and, behold, it was all vain and pitiful.

crooked cannot become bad, nor the fault be counted.

And I said in mine heart, Behold, I am become glorious, and have more wisdom than all that were before me in Jerusalem: and my heart hath learned and experienced many things.

And I set my heart to learn wisdom, and folly, and prudence. But I perceived that these things are trouble.

For where there is much wisdom, there is much sorrow: and he that teacheth much, suffereth much.
(Ecclesiastes)
Chapter 2
Earthly lusts are vain.

I said in mine heart, Well, I will live well, and have good days. But, behold, this also was vain.

I spoke to the laughter: You are great and to joy: What are you doing?

Then thought I in mine heart to draw my body from wine,