with English text translated for the first time from the primitive Hebrew as restored on the basis of recent philological discoveries. by E. J. Dillon Late Professor of Comparative Philology and Ancient Armenian at the Imperial University of Kharkoff; Doctor of Oriental Languages of the University of Louvain; Magistrand of the Oriental Faculty of the Imperial University of St. Petersburg; Member of the Armenian Academy of Venice; Membre de la Société Asiatique de Paris, &c. &c. *

* * * * * According to a theory which was still in vogue a few years ago, the ancient races of mankind were distinguished from each other no less by their intellectual equipment than by their physical peculiarities. Thus the Semites were supposed to be characterised, among other things, by an inborn aptitude for historical narrative and an utter lack of the mental suppleness, ingenuity, and sharp incisive vision indispensable for the study of the problems of philosophy; while their neighbours, t

* * * * * [Greek: Archaen men mae phynai epichthonioisin ariston Maed' eisidein augas oxeos aeëliou. Phynta d'hopos okista pylas Aidao peraesai, Kai keisthai pollaen gaen epamaesamenon.] Theognis. * * * * * Of all the books of the Old Testament, not excepting the Song of Songs, none offers such rich materials to the historian of philosophy or such knotty problems to the philological critic as Koheleth[70] or Ecclesiastes. This interesting treatise is, in its commonly received shape, little more

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth

1 After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day . 2 And Job spake, and said :   Would the day had perished wherein I was born,   And the night which said: behold, a man child!   Would that God on high had not called for it,   And that light had not shone upon it!   Would that darkness and gloom had claimed it for their own;   Would that clouds had hovered over it;   Would it never had been joined to the days of the year,   Nor entered into the number of the months!   Would that that night

7¶ And if was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is_ right, as my servant Job_ hath. 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye ha

(a) Because Enjoyment is Marred by Possession II. 3. I cast about me, how I might confer pleasure upon my body—my reason continuing to guide with wisdom the while—and how I might take to folly till I should discern what is good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven during the brief days of their existence. 4. I undertook huge works, I builded me houses, cultivated vineyards, 5. laid out gardens and orchards wherein I planted trees with all kinds of fruits; 6. I dug out reservoirs

(a) Because of its Limitation III. 10. I considered the working of the world which God gave unto man as a subject of meditation. 11. Unto their perception he made over the universe and likewise all eternity; yet so that they are unable to discern the work that he worketh from the beginning unto the end.[264] (6) From its Depressing Effects as Applied to the Order of the World III. 14. I discovered that whatever God doeth is for ever; nothing can be superadded to it, neither can aught be taken aw

(a) Because in the Chances of Life and Death the Just are Nowise Favoured II. 12_a_. Then I turned to behold wisdom, madness and folly, 13. and I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as much as light surpasseth darkness: 14. The wise man hath eyes in his head; But the fool walketh in obscurity. But I perceived that the same fate overtaketh them all. 15. Then I said in mine heart: As it happeneth to the fool, so shall it happen also unto me; and why then have I been so very wise? Whereupon I said in m

(a) Because Success is Contingent upon Circumstances beyond the Control of Man IX. 11. Again I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favour to men of skill; but time and chance overtake them all. 12. For man knoweth not even his own time; like the fishes that are taken in the evil net, and like the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men entrapped in the season of misfor

(a) Of Claims to Happiness VII.1_a_. Better is a good name than choice unguents,     X.1. But better wisdom than glory;           [Better not being than existence,][277] VII.1_b_. And the death-day than the birthday.       2. Better to enter the house of mourning          Than to go into the tavern;          Because there is the end of every man,          And he who survives will lay it to heart.       3. Better is sorrow than laughter;          For a cheerless face makes a blithesome heart.    

A Warning: (a) Against Outward and Sacrificial Worship V. 1. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God! And to draw near him, in order to obey, is better than the offering of sacrifices by fools: for they know not….[283] to work evil. (b) Against Mechanical Prayer V. 2. Be not rash with thy mouth, nor let thy heart be hasty to utter words before God! For God is in heaven, and thou art upon earth; therefore let thy words be few! 3. For   Dreams proceed from much brooding,   And the prattl

(a) In Public Life V. 8. When thou witnessest oppression of the poor and the swerving from right and equity in the land, marvel not thereat. For a higher one watcheth over the high, and still higher ones over both.[286] 9. But a gain to the country is only a king—for tilled land.    X.16. Wo, land, to thee whose king is a child,          And whose princes feast in the early morning!      17. Hail to thee, land, whose king is noble,          And whose princes eat in due season!      18. Through s

(a) In our Dealings with Women VII. 23. All this have I tried with understanding; I was minded to acquire wisdom, but it remained far from me. 24. Far off is that which is,[288] and deep, deep; who can fathom it? 25. I turned away, and my heart was bent upon understanding, sifting, and seeking the outgrowth of wisdom and knowledge, madness, and folly. 26. Whereupon I found that more bitter than death is woman—that snare whose heart is a net, whose arms are fetters: the God-favoured shall escape

On Four Insatiable Things   There be three things which are never satisfied,   Yea, four exclaim: "It is not enough!"   The Ghoul hath two daughters:   "Give, give!"—the grave and the womb.[313]   The earth is not filled with water,   And the fire sayeth not, "It is enough!" On Four Inscrutable Things   There be three things too wonderful for me,   Yea, four which I fathom not:   The way of the eagle in the air,   The way of the serpent upon a rock,   The way of a ship amidst the ocean,   And th

Exhortation to denounce ambition   Whether thou hast acted foolishly in exalting thyself,   Or whether thou hast done wisely, lay thy hand upon thy lips![316]   For pressure of milk produces butter,   And pressure of vanity produces anger;   Pressure of the nose[317] produces blood,   And pressure of wrath produces strife. Footnotes: [312] To this and the following Sayings, Agur's orthodox opponent replies     thus:       Every word of God is purified:       He is a shield to them that put their