The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

The .v. Chapter.

1 Not to speake lightly, chiefly in Gods matters. 9 The couetous can neuer haue enough. 11 The labourers sleepe is sweete. 14 Man when he dyeth taketh nothyng with hym. 18 To lyue ioyfully and with a contented mynde, is the gyft of God.

[unspec A] 1 BE (a) 1.1 not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart speake any thyng rashly before God: For God is in heauen, and thou vp∣on earth, therfore let thy wordes be fewe.

2 For where much carefulnesse is, there are many dreames: and where many wordes are, there men may heare fooles.

3 * 1.2If thou make a vowe vnto God, be not slacke to perfourme it: As for foo∣lish vowes he hath no pleasure in them: yf thou promise any thyng, pay it.

4 (b) 1.3For better is it that thou make no vowe, then that thou shouldest promise and not pay.

5 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy

fleshe for to (c) 1.4 sinne, neither say thou be∣fore the angell that it is thy ignoraunce: for then God wyll be angry at thy voyce, and destroy all the worke of thyne handes.

6 (d) 1.5And why? wheras are many dreames and many wordes, there are also diuers vanities: but loke that thou feare God.

7 If thou seest the poore to be oppressed, and wrongfully dealt withall, so that equitie and right of the lawe is wrested [unspec B] in the lande, marueyle not thou at such a thyng: for he that is (e) 1.6 hygher then the hyghest regardeth, and there be hygher then they.

8 (f) 1.7The increase of the earth vpholdeth all thyng: yea the kyng hym selfe is maynteyned by husbandry.

9 He that loueth money, wyll neuer be satisfied with money: and he that loueth riches, shalbe without the fruite therof: This is also a vayne thyng.

10 Wheras much riches is, there are many also that spende them away: And what pleasure more hath he that possesseth them, sauyng that he may loke vpon them with his eyes?

11 A labouryng man sleepeth sweetly whether it be litle or much that he ea∣teth: but the aboundaunce of the riche wyll not suffer hym to sleepe.

12 (g) 1.8Yet is there a sore plague which I haue seene vnder the sunne [namely] riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession:

13 For oft tymes they perishe with his great miserie and trouble: and yf he haue a childe, it getteth nothyng.

14 * 1.9Lyke as he came naked out of his mothers wombe, so goeth he thyther agayne, and caryeth nothyng away with hym of all his labour.

15 This is a miserable plague, that he [unspec C] shall go euen as he came away: What helpeth it hym then that he hath la∣boured in the wynde?

16 (h) 1.10All the dayes of his lyfe also he dyd eate in the darke, with great careful∣nesse, sicknesse, and sorowe.

17 (i) 1.11Therfore me thynke it a better and a fairer thyng, a man to eate and drynke, and to be refresshed of all his labour that he taketh vnder the sunne, all the dayes of his lyfe which God geueth hym: for this is his portion.

18 For vnto whom soeuer God geueth riches, goodes, and power, he geueth it hym to enioy it, to take it for his portion, and to be refresshed of his labour: this is the gyft of God.

19 For he thinketh not much howe long he shall lyue, forasmuch as God fylleth his heart with gladnesse.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Be not rashe in spea∣kyng of the maiestie of God: or in vowyng and praying to God.
• * 1.2

  Deu. xx. ii. e Baruc. vi. c.
• (b) 1.3

  We ought to vowe those thynges the which tendeth to the glory of God, & which are in our po∣wer to per∣fourme.
• (c) 1.4

  In pro∣mising that which thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not able to perfourme. Or by inte••∣rate eatyng & drynkyng▪ or by saying that you sinned not voluntarily, but of necessi∣tie, makyng God the auc∣thour of sinne.
• (d) 1.5

  Dreames are not to be credited: but God is to be feared.
• (e) 1.6

  Meanyng that God will redresse these thynges, and therfore we must depende vpon hym.
• (f) 1.7

  The decay of husbandry is the decay of the prince.
• (g) 1.8

  A plague of the coue∣••ous man.
• * 1.9

  Iob. i d. 1. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. vi. b.
• (h) 1.10

  That is, in vayne, and without pro∣fite.
• (i) 1.11

  Man by reason can comprehende nothyng bet∣ter in this life then to vse the gyftes of God soberly and comfortably: for to knowe farther, is a speciall gyft of God reuea∣led by his spi∣rite.