(1) Three books have the name of Solomon. The first is Proverbia, Proverbs, which may be called a book of good works, for in it he teaches how to live well before God and the world.
(2) And especially he takes the dear youth before him, and he calls them quite fatherly to God's commandments with comforting promises, how it should go well with the pious, and with sorrows, how the wicked must be punished. For the youth itself is inclined to all evil, as an inexperienced people who does not understand the world and the devil's cunning and wickedness, and is much too weak to resist the evil examples and excitements, and is not able to govern itself, but, if it is not drawn before it looks around, is corrupt and lost.
Therefore, it may well and must have teachers and governors who admonish, warn, punish, chastise it, and always keep to God's fear and commandment to ward off the devil, the world and the flesh. As Solomon does in this book with all diligence and abundance, and puts his teachings into proverbs, so that they are the more easily grasped and better kept, so that every man who intends to become pious may well keep such a book for his daily manual or prayer book, and often read it and look at his life in it.
(4) For there must be a way, either to have one's father chastened, or to have one's executioner punished, as one says, If thou escape me, thou shalt not escape the executioner. And it would be good if young people were always made to believe this, so that they would know without a doubt that they would have to suffer either their father's rod or the executioner's sword, just as Solomon always threatens the disobedient with death in this book. For nothing else comes of it, God leaves nothing unpunished. As one sees in experience, that the disobedient bad boys perish so very strangely, and at last come into the hands of the executioner, when they are least careful and safest. The gallows, wheels and raven stones on the road in front of all cities, which God has placed there by the secular regime, are public witnesses and signs of this, to the horror of all who do not want to be drawn with God's word and obey their parents.
Therefore, in this book Solomon calls all those who despise God's commandments "fools" and those who keep God's commandments "wise men. He does not only refer to the youth, whom he intends to teach, but to all classes, from the highest to the lowest. For just as the youth has its own vices, contrary to God's commandment, so
*This preface first appeared in the third part of the Old Testament, which contained the translation of Job, the Psalter and the Books of Solomon. In the editions: in the Leipziger, vol. XII, p. II; by Walch, and in the Erlanger, vol. 63, p. 35. At the same time as this, the following two prefaces also appeared.
all other classes also have their vices, and they are worse than the vices of youth; as the saying goes, the older, the worse. And again, age does not help any folly.
(6) And if there be nothing else evil in the other and high classes, as there is avarice, pride, hatred, envy, etc., yet this certain vice is evil enough, that they desire to be wise and prudent, when they ought not to be, and every man is inclined to do otherwise than he is commanded, and to forbear what he is commanded. For he who is in the spiritual office wants to be prudent and active in the secular office, and here his wisdom is at an end; again, he who is in the secular office has his head too narrow for the rest of the art of governing the spiritual office.
(7) All the countries, all the cities, all the henchmen are full of such fools, and in this book they are diligently punished, and each one is admonished to wait for the lowering, and to do faithfully and diligently what he is commanded to do. And this is no longer a virtue; for to be obedient and to wait for what he is commanded to do is what wise men are called. The disobedient are called fools, although they do not want to be or be called disobedient or fools.
(8) The other book is called Koheleth, which we call Ecclesiastes, and it is a book of consolation; for if a man will live obediently to the teaching of the first book, and wait for his command or office, the Teu-
1) Erlanger: none.
The world and his own flesh are so contrary to him that he grows tired and weary of his position, and he regrets everything he has begun, because it will not go on as he would like. Then toil and labor, unwillingness, impatience and grumbling arise, so that a man will let his hands and feet go, and do nothing more. For where the devil cannot resist obedience on the right hand side with forwardness and pleasure, he wants to hinder it on the left hand side with effort and repugnance.
9 As now. Solomon in the first book teaches obedience against the madness and arrogance, so he teaches in this book, against the unwillingness and temptation, to be patient and constant in obedience, and to always wait for the hour with peace and joy. And what he cannot keep nor change, always let it go, it will probably be found.
The third book is a hymn in which Solomon praises God for obedience, as a gift from God. For where God does not keep house and rule himself, there is neither obedience nor peace in any state. But where there is obedience or good government, God dwells there, and kisses and caresses His dear bride with His word, which is the kiss of His mouth. So, where it goes in the land or house according to the two books (as much as it can be), one may well sing this third book, and give thanks to God, who has not only taught us such things, but has also done them himself, amen.