The Whole Duty of Man

The Teacher is commended as one who taught knowledge, weighed and arranged many proverbs, and sought to write words both delightful and true. Those wise words are compared to goads and firmly fixed nails given from one Shepherd, and the hearer is warned that the endless making of books and the weariness of much study cannot replace attentive submission to this given wisdom.

N⁹ot only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. ¹⁰The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth. ¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd. ¹²And 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 matter resolves into a simple and weighty conclusion: fear God and keep his commandments. The reason is final and universal, because God will bring every deed, including every hidden thing, into judgment whether it is good or evil.

¹³When 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. ¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.