The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the NIV. Switch to the NIV to read along with the audio.
The Folly of a Simpleminded Fool
10 Dead flies make a (A)perfumer’s oil stink, so a little simpleminded folly is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish (B)man’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the simpleminded fool walks along the road, his heart lacks wisdom, and he (C)says to all that he is a simpleminded fool. 4 If the ruler’s [a]temper rises against you, (D)do not abandon your position, because (E)calmness causes great offenses to be abandoned.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake which goes forth from the one in power— 6 [b](F)folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen (G)slaves riding (H)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 (I)He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a (J)serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [c]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must [d]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites [e](K)before being charmed, there is no advantage for the charmer. 12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, but the lips of a (M)fool swallow him up; 13 the beginning of the words of his mouth is simpleminded folly, and the end of what comes from his mouth is evil (N)madness. 14 Yet the (O)simpleminded fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him (P)what will come after him? 15 The labor of [f]a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, O land, whose (Q)king is a young man and whose princes [g]eat in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for might and not for (R)drinking. 18 Through (S)indolence the beams sag, and through slack hands the house leaks. 19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and (T)wine makes life glad, and (U)money [h]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (V)in your bedchamber do not (W)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the sky will bring the sound and the winged creature will tell the matter.
Cast Your Bread on the Waters
11 (X)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you (Y)will find it [i]after many days. 2 (Z)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what (AA)calamity may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they empty the rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it [j]lies. 4 He who [k]watches the wind will not sow, and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 Just as you do not (AB)know [l]the path of the wind and (AC)how bones are formed in the womb of the [m]pregnant woman, so you do not (AD)know the work of God who works all things.
6 Sow your seed (AE)in the morning and do not put your hands down in the evening, for you do not know whether [n]morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
7 The light is sweet, and it is good for the eyes to (AF)see the sun. 8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him (AG)be glad in them all, and let him remember the (AH)days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be vanity.
9 Be glad, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be merry during the days of young manhood. And walk in the ways of your heart and in the (AI)sights of your eyes. Yet know that (AJ)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So, remove vexation from your heart and put away (AK)evil from your flesh because childhood and the prime of life are vanity.
Remember Your Creator in Your Youth
12 (AL)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the (AM)evil days happen and the years draw near in which you will say, “I have no delight in them”; 2 before the (AN)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; 3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and valiant men (AO)bend down, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and (AP)those who look through [o]windows grow dark; 4 and the doors on the street are shut as the (AQ)sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the (AR)daughters of song will [p]sing softly. 5 Furthermore, [q]men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blooms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal (AS)home, but the (AT)mourners go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver [r]cord is [s]snapped and the (AU)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is broken and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the (AV)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [t](AW)spirit will return to (AX)God who gave it. 8 “(AY)Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”
Fear God and Keep His Commandments
9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and [u]arranged (AZ)many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find (BA)delightful words and (BB)words of truth written uprightly.
11 The (BC)words of wise men are like (BD)goads, and masters of these collections are like [v]well-driven (BE)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But in addition to this, my son, be warned: the making of (BF)many books is endless, and much (BG)devotion to books is wearying to the flesh.
13 The end of the matter, all that has been heard: (BH)fear God and (BI)keep His commandments, because this is the end of the matter for (BJ)all mankind. 14 For (BK)God will bring every work to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Generosity and Grace
8 Now brothers, we make known to you the grace of God which has been (A)given in the churches of (B)Macedonia, 2 that in a great testing by affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the (C)richness of their [a]generosity. 3 For I testify that (D)according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the (E)grace [b]of sharing in the (F)ministry to the saints, 5 and this, not as we had [c]expected, but they first (G)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by (H)the will of God. 6 So we (I)encouraged (J)Titus that as he had previously (K)made a beginning, so he would also complete in you (L)this gracious work as well.
7 But just as you (M)abound (N)in everything, in faith and word and knowledge and in all earnestness and in [d]the love we inspired in you, see that you (O)abound in this gracious work also. 8 I (P)am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. 9 For you know (Q)the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that (R)though being rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 And I (S)give my opinion in this matter, for this is profitable for you, who were the first to begin (T)a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. 11 But now complete [e]doing it also, so that just as there was the (U)readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it from what you have. 12 For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable (V)according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For this is not for the relief of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— 14 at this present time your abundance being a supply for (W)their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for (X)your need, that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “(Y)He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack.”
Why Should I Fear in Days of Evil?
For the choir director. Of the sons of Korah. A Psalm.
49 (A)Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all (B)inhabitants of the world,
2 Both [a](C)low and [b]high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will (D)speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be (E)discernment.
4 I will incline my ear to (F)a proverb;
(G)I will [c]express my (H)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (I)fear in days of evil,
When the iniquity of my [d]supplanters surrounds me,
6 Even those who (J)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no man can (K)redeem his brother;
He cannot give to God a (L)ransom for him—
8 For (M)the redemption price for their soul is costly,
And it ceases forever—
9 That he should (N)live on eternally,
That he should not (O)see [e]corruption.
10 For he sees that even (P)wise men die;
The [f](Q)fool and the senseless alike perish
And (R)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [g](S)inner thought is that their houses (T)are forever
And their dwelling places [h]from generation to generation;
They have (U)called their lands after their own names.
12 But (V)man in his honor will not endure;
He is like the animals that [i]perish.
13 This is the (W)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (X)are pleased [j]with their words. [k]Selah.
14 As sheep they are appointed (Y)for Sheol;
Death will shepherd them;
And the (Z)upright shall have dominion over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for Sheol (AA)to consume,
Far away from his habitation.
15 But God will (AB)redeem my soul from the [l]power of Sheol,
For (AC)He will receive me. Selah.
16 Do not be afraid (AD)when a man becomes rich,
When the [m]glory of his house increases;
17 For when he dies he will not (AE)take any of it;
His [n]glory will not descend after him.
18 For while he lives he (AF)blesses his soul—
And men will praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 But his soul shall (AG)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will eternally not see (AH)light.
20 (AI)Man in his honor, but who does not understand,
Is (AJ)like the animals that [o]perish.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.