The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs ch. 27, v. 17

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Proverbs ch. 28, v. 1

He that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Proverbs ch. 28, v. 20

A fool uttereth all his mind.

Proverbs ch. 29, v. 11

Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Proverbs ch. 29, v. 18

Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me.

Proverbs ch. 30, v. 8

There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

Proverbs ch. 30, v. 15

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

Proverbs ch. 30, v. 18

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Proverbs ch. 31, v. 4

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Proverbs ch. 31, v. 10

Her children arise up, and call her blessed.

Proverbs ch. 31, v. 28

2.116.2.18 Ecclesiastes

Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun? One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh.

Ecclesiastes ch. 1, v. 2

All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full.

Ecclesiastes ch. 1, v. 7

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be

done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes ch. 1, v. 8

All is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Ecclesiastes ch. 1, v. 14

He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

Ecclesiastes ch. 1, v. 18

Wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

Ecclesiastes ch. 2, v. 13

One event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes ch. 2, v. 14

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes ch. 3, v. 1

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

Ecclesiastes ch. 3, v. 19

Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.

Ecclesiastes ch. 4, v. 2

A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes ch. 4, v. 12

God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Ecclesiastes ch. 5, v. 2

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet.

Ecclesiastes ch. 5, v. 12

As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 6

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 8

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 10

In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 14

Be not righteous over much.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 16

One man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 28

God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

Ecclesiastes ch. 7, v. 29

There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit; neither hath he power in the day of death; there is no discharge in that war.

Ecclesiastes ch. 8, v. 8

A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry.

Ecclesiastes ch. 8, v. 15.

A living dog is better than a dead lion.

Ecclesiastes ch. 9, v. 4

Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

Ecclesiastes ch. 9, v. 7

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Ecclesiastes ch. 9, v. 10

The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.

Ecclesiastes ch. 9, v. 11

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.

Ecclesiastes ch. 10, v. 1

He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it.

Ecclesiastes ch. 10, v. 8

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

Ecclesiastes ch. 10, v. 16

Wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

Ecclesiastes ch. 10, v. 19

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Ecclesiastes ch. 11, v. 1

In the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.

Ecclesiastes ch. 11, v. 3

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Ecclesiastes ch. 11, v. 4

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand.

Ecclesiastes ch. 11, v. 6

Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun.

Ecclesiastes ch. 11, v. 7

Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth.

Ecclesiastes ch. 11, v. 9

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:

In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,

And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;

Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes ch. 12, v. 1

The words of the wise are as goads.

Ecclesiastes ch. 12, v. 11

Of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Ecclesiastes ch. 12, v. 12

Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Ecclesiastes ch. 12, v. 13

2.116.2.19 Song Of Solomon

The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

Song Of Solomon ch. 1, v. 1

I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Song Of Solomon ch. 1, v. 5

O thou fairest among women.

Song Of Solomon ch. 1, v. 8

A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

Song Of Solomon ch. 1, v. 13

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Song Of Solomon ch. 2, v. 1

His banner over me was love.

Song Of Solomon ch. 2, v. 4

Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

Song Of Solomon ch. 2, v. 5

Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

Song Of Solomon ch. 2, v. 10

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines.

Song Of Solomon ch. 2, v. 15

My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away.

Song Of Solomon ch. 2, v. 16

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth.

Song Of Solomon ch. 3, v. 1

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Song Of Solomon ch. 4, v. 1

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Song Of Solomon ch. 4, v. 7

A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

Song Of Solomon ch. 4, v. 12

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

Song Of Solomon ch. 4, v. 16

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled.

Song Of Solomon ch. 5, v. 2

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the

keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women?

Song Of Solomon ch. 5, v. 7

My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

Song Of Solomon ch. 5, v. 10

His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Song Of Solomon ch. 5, v. 14

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?

Song Of Solomon ch. 6, v. 10

Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee.

Song Of Solomon ch. 6, v. 13

How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince’s daughter!

Song Of Solomon ch. 7, v. 1

Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.

Song Of Solomon ch. 7, v. 2

Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.

Song Of Solomon ch. 7, v. 4

Like the best wine, for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

Song Of Solomon ch. 7, v. 9

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave.

Song Of Solomon ch. 8, v. 6

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Song Of Solomon ch. 8, v. 7

We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts.

Song Of Solomon ch. 8, v. 8

Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like to a roe or to a young hart upon the mountain of spices.

Song Of Solomon ch. 8, v. 14

2.116.2.20 Isaiah

The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib.

Isaiah ch. 1, v. 3

The daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

Isaiah ch. 1, v. 8

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with.

Isaiah ch. 1, v. 13

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.

Isaiah ch. 1, v. 18

They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah ch. 2, v. 4

What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor?

Isaiah ch. 3, v. 15

My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 1

And he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 2

And he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 7

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 8

Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 11

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 20

For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah ch. 5, v. 25

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.

Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Isaiah ch. 6, v. 1

Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in

the midst of a people of unclean lips.

Isaiah ch. 6, v. 5

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.

And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips.

Isaiah ch. 6, v. 6

Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Isaiah ch. 6, v. 8

Then said I, Lord, how long?

Isaiah ch. 6, v. 11

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

Isaiah ch. 7, v. 14

Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel.

Isaiah ch. 8, v. 13

Wizards that peep and that mutter.

Isaiah ch. 8, v. 19

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

Isaiah ch. 9, v. 2

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.

Isaiah ch. 9, v. 6

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah ch. 9, v. 7

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah ch. 11, v. 1

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah ch. 11, v. 6

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah ch. 11, v. 7

Dragons in their pleasant palaces.

Isaiah ch. 13, v. 22

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

Isaiah ch. 14, v. 12

Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night.

Isaiah ch. 21, v. 11

Let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

Isaiah ch. 22, v. 13.

Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes.

Isaiah ch. 23, v. 8

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish.

Isaiah ch. 23, v. 14

In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well refined.

Isaiah ch. 25, v. 6

He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.

Isaiah ch. 25, v. 8

We have as it were brought forth wind.

Isaiah ch. 26, v. 18

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.

Isaiah ch. 28, v. 10

We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement.

Isaiah ch. 28, v. 15

They are drunken, but not with wine.

Isaiah ch. 29, v. 9

Their strength is to sit still.

Isaiah ch. 30, v. 7

Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book.

Isaiah ch. 30, v. 8

Speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.

Isaiah ch. 30, v. 10

In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.

Isaiah ch. 30, v. 15