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A Little Foolishness
10 Dead flies make a (A)perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness 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 fool walks along the road, his [a]sense is lacking and he [b](C)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [c]temper rises against you, (D)do not abandon your position, because (E)composure allays great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— 6 (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 [d]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must [e]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites [f](K)before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a (M)fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [g]his talking is folly and the end of [h]it is wicked (N)madness. 14 Yet the (O)fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him (P)what will come after him? 15 The toil of [i]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 lad and whose princes [j]feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for (R)drunkenness. 18 Through (S)indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. 19 Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and (T)wine makes life merry, and (U)money [k]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 heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.
Cast Your Bread on the Waters
11 (X)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you (Y)will find it [l]after many days. 2 (Z)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what (AA)misfortune may occur on the earth. 3 If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it [m]lies. 4 He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. 5 Just as you do not (AB)know [n]the path of the wind and (AC)how bones are formed in the womb of the [o]pregnant woman, so you do not (AD)know the activity of God who makes all things.
6 Sow your seed (AE)in the morning and do not [p]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether [q]morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.
7 The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to (AF)see the sun. 8 Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him (AG)rejoice in them all, and let him remember the (AH)days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.
9 Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the [r]impulses of your heart and the [s](AI)desires of your eyes. Yet know that (AJ)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. 10 So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away [t](AK)pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.
Remember God in Your Youth
12 (AL)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the (AM)evil days come and the years draw near when 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 mighty men (AO)stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and (AP)those who look through [u]windows grow dim; 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 [v]sing softly. 5 Furthermore, [w]men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal (AS)home while (AT)mourners go about in the street. 6 Remember Him before the silver cord is [x]broken and the (AU)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the (AV)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the [y](AW)spirit will return to (AX)God who gave it. 8 “(AY)Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”
Purpose of the Preacher
9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged (AZ)many proverbs. 10 The Preacher sought to find (BA)delightful words and to write (BB)words of truth correctly.
11 The (BC)words of wise men are like (BD)goads, and masters of these collections are like [z]well-driven (BE)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 But beyond this, my son, be warned: the [aa]writing of (BF)many books is endless, and excessive (BG)devotion to books is wearying to the body.
13 The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: (BH)fear God and (BI)keep His commandments, because this applies to (BJ)every person. 14 For (BK)God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Great Generosity
8 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been (A)given in the churches of (B)Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the (C)wealth of their liberality. 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)favor [a]of participation in the [b](F)support of the [c]saints, 5 and this, not as we had [d]expected, but they first (G)gave themselves to the Lord and to us by (H)the will of God. 6 So we (I)urged (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 utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the [e]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 He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 10 I (S)give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, 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 finish [f]doing it also, so that just as there was the (U)readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. 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 ease 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.”
The Folly of Trusting in Riches.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
49 (A)Hear this, all peoples;
Give ear, all (B)inhabitants of the world,
2 Both (C)low and high,
Rich and poor together.
3 My mouth will (D)speak wisdom,
And the meditation of my heart will be (E)understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to (F)a proverb;
(G)I will [a]express my (H)riddle on the harp.
5 Why should I (I)fear in days of adversity,
When the iniquity of my [b]foes surrounds me,
6 Even those who (J)trust in their wealth
And boast in the abundance of their riches?
7 No man can by any means (K)redeem his brother
Or give to God a (L)ransom for him—
8 For (M)the redemption of [c]his soul is costly,
And he should cease trying forever—
9 That he should (N)live on eternally,
That he should not [d](O)undergo decay.
10 For he sees that even (P)wise men die;
The (Q)stupid and the senseless alike perish
And (R)leave their wealth to others.
11 Their [e](S)inner thought is that their houses (T)are forever
And their dwelling places to all generations;
They have (U)called their lands after their own names.
12 But (V)man in his [f]pomp will not endure;
He is like the [g]beasts that [h]perish.
13 This is the (W)way of those who are foolish,
And of those after them who (X)approve their words. [i]Selah.
14 As sheep they are appointed (Y)for [j]Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
And the (Z)upright shall rule over them in the morning,
And their form shall be for [k]Sheol (AA)to consume
[l]So that they have no habitation.
15 But God will (AB)redeem my soul from the [m]power of [n]Sheol,
For (AC)He will receive me. Selah.
16 Do not be afraid (AD)when a man becomes rich,
When the [o]glory of his house is increased;
17 For when he dies he will (AE)carry nothing away;
His [p]glory will not descend after him.
18 Though while he lives he (AF)congratulates [q]himself—
And though men praise you when you do well for yourself—
19 [r]He shall (AG)go to the generation of his fathers;
They will never see (AH)the light.
20 (AI)Man in his [s]pomp, yet without understanding,
Is (AJ)like the [t]beasts that [u]perish.
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