God

Go, eat with joy thy bread, and drink with a glad heart thy wine, for already hath God been pleased with thy works.

See life with the wife whom thou hast loved, all the days of the life of thy vanity, that He hath given to thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity, for it is thy portion in life, even of thy labour that thou art labouring at under the sun.

As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, How--bones in the womb of the full one, So thou knowest not the work of God who maketh the whole.

Rejoice, O young man, in thy childhood, And let thy heart gladden thee in days of thy youth, And walk in the ways of thy heart, And in the sight of thine eyes, And know thou that for all these, Doth God bring thee into judgment.

And the dust returneth to the earth as it was, And the spirit returneth to God who gave it.

The end of the whole matter let us hear: --`Fear God, and keep His commands, for this is the whole of man.

For every work doth God bring into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether good or bad.'

Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, For Jehovah hath spoken: Sons I have nourished and brought up, And they--they transgressed against Me.

An ox hath known its owner, And an ass the crib of its master, Israel hath not known, My people hath not understood.

Ah, sinning nation, a people heavy with iniquity, A seed of evil doers, sons--corrupters! They have forsaken Jehovah, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have gone away backward.

Unless Jehovah of Hosts had left to us a remnant, Shortly--as Sodom we had been, To Gomorrah we had been like!

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye rulers of Sodom, Give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah,

`Why to Me the abundance of your sacrifices? saith Jehovah, I have been satiated with burnt-offerings of rams, And fat of fatlings; And blood of bullocks, and lambs, And he-goats I have not desired.

When ye come in to appear before Me, Who hath required this of your hand, To trample My courts?

Add not to bring in a vain present, Incense--an abomination it is to Me, New moon, and sabbath, calling of convocation! Rendure not iniquity--and a restraint!

Your new moons and your set seasons hath My soul hated, They have been upon me for a burden, I have been weary of bearing.

And in your spreading forth your hands, I hide mine eyes from you, Also when ye increase prayer, I do not hear, Your hands of blood have been full.

Come, I pray you, and we reason, saith Jehovah, If your sins are as scarlet, as snow they shall be white, If they are red as crimson, as wool they shall be!

And if ye refuse, and have rebelled, By the sword ye are consumed, For the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken.

Therefore--the affirmation of the Lord--Jehovah of Hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: Ah, I am eased of Mine adversaries, And I am avenged of Mine enemies,

And I turn back My hand upon thee, And I refine as purity thy dross, And I turn aside all thy tin,

And I give back thy judges as at the first, And thy counsellors as in the beginning, After this thou art called, `A city of righteousness--a faithful city.'

And the destruction of transgressors and sinners is together, And those forsaking Jehovah are consumed.

And it hath come to pass, In the latter end of the days, Established is the mount of Jehovah's house, Above the top of the mounts, And it hath been lifted up above the heights, And flowed unto it have all the nations.

And gone have many peoples and said, `Come, and we go up unto the mount of Jehovah, Unto the house of the God of Jacob, And He doth teach us of His ways, And we walk in His paths, For from Zion goeth forth a law, And a word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.