The Berean Pursuit
As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer's oil,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
A wise man's heart inclines to the right,
but the heart of a fool to the left.
Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking,
and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
If the ruler's temper flares against you, do not abandon your post,
for calmness lays great offenses to rest.
There is an evil I have seen under the sun-
an error that proceeds from the ruler:
Folly is appointed to great heights,
but the rich sit in lowly positions.
I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.
He who digs a pit may fall into it,
and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.
The one who quarries stones may be injured by them,
and he who splits logs endangers himself.
If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened,
more strength must be exerted,
but skill produces success.
If the snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious,
but the lips of a fool consume him.
The beginning of his talk is folly,
and the end of his speech is evil madness.
Yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what is coming,
and who can tell him what will come after him?
The toil of a fool wearies him,
for he does not know the way to the city.
Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth,
and whose princes feast in the morning.
Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles,
and whose princes feast at the proper time-
for strength and not for drunkenness.
Through laziness the roof caves in,
and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry,
but money is the answer for everything.
Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich even in your bedroom,
for a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a winged creature may report your speech.
Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it again.
Divide your portion among seven, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.
If the clouds are full,
they will pour out rain upon the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
He who watches the wind will fail to sow,
and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.
As you do not know the path of the wind,
or how the bones are formed in a mother's womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things.
Sow your seed in the morning,
and do not rest your hands in the evening,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.
Light is sweet,
and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
So if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness,
for they will be many.
Everything to come is futile.
Rejoice, O young man, while you are young,
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Walk in the ways of your heart
and in the sight of your eyes,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment.
So banish sorrow from your heart,
and cast off pain from your body,
for youth and vigor are fleeting.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,
before the days of adversity come
and the years approach of which you will say,
"I find no pleasure in them,"
before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,
and the clouds return after the rain,
on the day the keepers of the house tremble
and the strong men stoop,
when those grinding cease because they are few
and those watching through windows see dimly,
when the doors to the street are shut
and the sound of the mill fades away,
when one rises at the sound of a bird
and all the daughters of song grow faint,
when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,
when the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper loses its spring,
and the caper berry shrivels-
for then man goes to his eternal home
and mourners walk the streets.
Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped
and the golden bowl is crushed,
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring
and the wheel is broken at the well,
before the dust returns to the ground from which it came
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
"Futility of futilities," says the Teacher.
"Everything is futile!"
Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.
The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd. And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.
When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.
Song of Solomon 1
BRB [Online]
The Bride Confesses Her Love
This is Solomon's Song of Songs.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is more delightful than wine.
The fragrance of your perfume is pleasing;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the maidens adore you.
Take me away with you-let us hurry!
May the king bring me to his chambers. We will rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine. It is only right that they adore you.
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
Do not stare because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed upon me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;
they made me a keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have neglected.
Tell me, O one I love,
where do you pasture your sheep?
Where do you rest them at midday?
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your companions?
If you do not know, O fairest of women,
follow the tracks of the flock,
and graze your young goats
near the tents of the shepherds.
I compare you, my darling,
to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.
Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.
We will make you ornaments of gold,
studded with beads of silver.
While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of En-gedi.
How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how very beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves.
How handsome you are, my beloved!
Oh, how delightful!
The soft grass is our bed.
The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are fragrant firs.
Song of Solomon 2
BRB [Online]
The Bride's Admiration
I am a rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valley.
Like a lily among the thorns
is my darling among the maidens.
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He has brought me to the house of wine,
and his banner over me is love.
Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apples,
for I am faint with love.
His left hand is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you
by the gazelles and does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until the time is right.
Listen! My beloved approaches.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look, he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
My beloved calls to me,
"Arise, my darling.
Come away with me, my beautiful one.
For now the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers have appeared in the countryside;
the season of singing has come,
and the cooing of turtledoves
is heard in our land.
The fig tree ripens its figs;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come away, my darling;
come away with me, my beautiful one."
O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your countenance is lovely.
Catch for us the foxes-
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards-
for our vineyards are in bloom.
My beloved is mine and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
Before the day breaks and shadows flee,
turn, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.
Song of Solomon 3
BRB [Online]
The Bride's Dream
On my bed at night
I sought the one I love;
I sought him,
but did not find him.
I will arise now and go about the city,
through the streets and squares.
I will seek the one I love.
So I sought him but did not find him.
I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city:
"Have you seen the one I love?"
I had just passed them when I found the one I love.
I held him and would not let go
until I had brought him to my mother's house,
to the chamber of the one who conceived me.
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you
by the gazelles and does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until the time is right.
Who is this coming up from the wilderness
like a column of smoke,
scented with myrrh and frankincense
from all the spices of the merchant?
Behold, it is Solomon's carriage,
escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.
All are skilled with the sword,
experienced in warfare.
Each has his sword at his side
prepared for the terror of the night.
King Solomon has made his carriage
out of the timber of Lebanon.
He has made its posts of silver,
its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric.
Its interior is inlaid with love
by the daughters of Jerusalem.
Come out, O daughters of Zion,
and gaze at King Solomon,
wearing the crown his mother bestowed
on the day of his wedding-
the day of his heart's rejoicing.
Song of Solomon 4
BRB [Online]
Solomon Admires His Bride
How beautiful you are, my darling-
how very beautiful!
Your eyes are like doves
behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from the washing;
each has its twin,
and not one of them is lost.
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon,
and your mouth is lovely.
Your brow behind your veil
is like a slice of pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
built with rows of stones;
on it hang a thousand shields,
all of them shields of warriors.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Before the day breaks and the shadows flee,
I will make my way
to the mountain of myrrh
and to the hill of frankincense.
You are altogether beautiful, my darling;
in you there is no flaw.
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,
come with me from Lebanon!
Descend from the peak of Amana,
from the summits of Senir and Hermon,
from the dens of the lions,
from the mountains of the leopards.
You have captured my heart,
my sister, my bride;
you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your neck.
How delightful is your love,
my sister, my bride!
Your love is much better than wine,
and the fragrance of your perfume than all spices.
Your lips, my bride,
drip sweetness like the honeycomb;
honey and milk are under your tongue,
and the fragrance of your garments
is like the aroma of Lebanon.
My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up,
a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed.
Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates
with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,
with nard and saffron, with calamus and cinnamon,
with every kind of frankincense tree,
with myrrh and aloes,
with all the finest spices.
You are a garden spring,
a well of fresh water
flowing down from Lebanon.
Awake, O north wind,
and come, O south wind.
Breathe on my garden
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my beloved come into his garden
and taste its choicest fruits.
Song of Solomon 5
BRB [Online]
The Bride and Her Beloved
I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink;
drink freely, O beloved.
I sleep, but my heart is awake.
A sound! My beloved is knocking:
"Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my flawless one.
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night."
I have taken off my robe-
must I put it back on?
I have washed my feet-
must I soil them again?
My beloved put his hand to the latch;
my heart pounded for him.
I rose up to open for my beloved.
My hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh
on the handles of the bolt.
I opened for my beloved,
but he had turned and gone.
My heart sank at his departure.
I sought him, but did not find him.
I called, but he did not answer.
I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city.
They beat me and bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those guardians of the walls.
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you,
if you find my beloved,
tell him I am sick with love.
How is your beloved better than others,
O most beautiful among women?
How is your beloved better than another,
that you charge us so?
My beloved is dazzling and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves
beside the streams of water,
bathed in milk
and mounted like jewels.
His cheeks are like beds of spice,
towers of perfume.
His lips are like lilies,
dripping with flowing myrrh.
His arms are rods of gold
set with beryl.
His body is an ivory panel
bedecked with sapphires.
His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
as majestic as the cedars.
His mouth is most sweet;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 6
BRB [Online]
Together in the Garden
Where has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women?
Which way has he turned?
We will seek him with you.
My beloved has gone down to his garden,
to the beds of spices,
to pasture his flock in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah,
as lovely as Jerusalem,
as majestic as troops with banners.
Turn your eyes away from me,
for they have overcome me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down from Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep
coming up from the washing;
each has its twin,
and not one of them is lost.
Your brow behind your veil
is like a slice of pomegranate.
There are sixty queens and eighty concubines,
and maidens without number,
but my dove, my perfect one, is unique,
the favorite of the mother who bore her.
The maidens see her and call her blessed;
the queens and concubines sing her praises.
Who is this who shines like the dawn,
as fair as the moon,
as bright as the sun,
as majestic as the stars in procession?
I went down to the walnut grove
to see the blossoms of the valley,
to see if the vines were budding
or the pomegranates were in bloom.
Before I realized it, my desire had set me
among the royal chariots of my people.
Come back, come back, O Shulammite!
Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you.
Why do you look at the Shulammite,
as on the dance of Mahanaim?
Song of Solomon 7
BRB [Online]
Admiration by the Bridegroom
How beautiful are your sandaled feet,
O daughter of the prince!
The curves of your thighs are like jewels,
the handiwork of a master.
Your navel is a rounded goblet;
it never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
encircled by the lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
Your neck is like a tower
made of ivory;
your eyes are like the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath-rabbim;
your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,
facing toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple threads;
the king is captured in your tresses.
How fair and pleasant you are,
O love, with your delights!
Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
I said, "I will climb the palm tree;
I will take hold of its fruit."
May your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
the fragrance of your breath like apples,
and your mouth like the finest wine. May it flow smoothly to my beloved,
gliding gently over lips and teeth.
I belong to my beloved,
and his desire is for me.
Come, my beloved,
let us go to the countryside;
let us spend the night among the wildflowers.
Let us go early to the vineyards
to see if the vine has budded,
if the blossom has opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom-
there I will give you my love.
The mandrakes send forth a fragrance,
and at our door is every delicacy,
new as well as old,
that I have treasured up for you, my beloved.
Song of Solomon 8
BRB [Online]
Longing for Her Beloved
O that you were to me like a brother
who nursed at my mother's breasts!
If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you,
and no one would despise me.
I would lead you and bring you
to the house of my mother who taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left hand is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until the time is right.
Who is this coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree;
there your mother conceived you;
there she travailed and brought you forth.
Set me as a seal over your heart,
as a seal upon your arm.
For love is as strong as death,
its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol.
Its sparks are fiery flames,
the fiercest blaze of all.
Mighty waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love,
his offer would be utterly scorned.
We have a little sister,
and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
we will build a tower of silver upon her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
I am a wall,
and my breasts are like towers.
So I have become in his eyes
like one who brings peace.
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal-hamon.
He leased it to the tenants.
For its fruit, each was to bring
a thousand shekels of silver.
But my own vineyard is mine to give;
the thousand shekels are for you, O Solomon,
and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
You who dwell in the gardens,
my companions are listening for your voice.
Let me hear it!
Come away, my beloved,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.