עָמָל

And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. Manasseh: that is, Forgetting

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction, and our labour, and our oppression:

And they put away the strange gods from among them, and served the LORD: and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel. strange: Heb. gods of strangers grieved: Heb. shortened

Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.

Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; affliction: or, iniquity

Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. trouble: or, labour sparks: Heb. the sons of the burning coal lift up to fly

So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit. vanity: or, iniquity

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. miserable: or, troublesome

Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.

His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. deceit: Heb. deceits vanity: or, iniquity

Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. committeth: Heb. leaveth

Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. in: Heb. in the trouble of other men like: Heb. with

When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; too: Heb. labour in mine eyes

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. The days: Heb. As for the days of our years, in them are seventy years

Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;

Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.

As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. taken: Heb. laboured

And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.

Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil. leave: Heb. give

For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?

There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God. should make: or, delight his senses

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit. every: Heb. all the rightness of work for this: Heb. this is the envy of a man from his neighbour

Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. It is good: Heb. there is a good which is comely, etc all the days: Heb. the number of the days

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled. appetite: Heb. soul

Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun.

Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. Live: Heb. See, or, Enjoy life

The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; that write: or, to the writers that write grievousness

He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? iniquity: or, grievance