The Daily Audio Bible

10 Dead flies make a perfume maker’s oil smell bad. So does acting a little foolish weigh more than wisdom and honor. ² A wise man’s heart leads him toward the right. But the foolish man’s heart leads him toward the left. ³ Even when the fool walks on the road, he has little understanding and shows everyone that he is a fool. ⁴ If the ruler becomes angry with you, do not back away. If you are quiet, much wrong-doing may be put aside.

⁵ There is a sin I have seen under the sun, like a mistake done by a ruler: ⁶ Fools are put in many places of honor, while rich men sit in places that are not important. ⁷ I have seen servants riding on horses, and princes walking like servants on the land.

⁸ He who digs a deep hole may fall into it. And a snake may bite him who breaks through a wall. ⁹ He who cuts stones may be hurt by them. And he who cuts trees may be in danger by them. ¹⁰ If the ax is not sharp and he does not make it sharp, then he must use more strength. Wisdom helps one to do well. ¹¹ If the snake bites before it is put under a man’s power, it will not be of help to the man who would have power over it. ¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are kind, but the lips of a fool destroy him. ¹³ The beginning of his talking is foolish, and the end of it is sinful and crazy. ¹⁴ Yet the fool speaks many words. No man knows what will happen. And who can tell him what will come after him? ¹⁵ The work of a fool makes him so tired that he does not even know the way to a city. ¹⁶ It is bad for you, O land, when your king is a child and your princes eat too much in the morning. ¹⁷ Happy are you, O land, when your king is from parents who have ruled, and your princes eat at the right time, for strength and not to get drunk. ¹⁸ When men are lazy, the roof begins to fall in. When they will do no work, the rain comes into the house. ¹⁹ Food is made ready to be enjoyed, wine makes life happy, but money is the answer to everything. ²⁰ Do not curse a king even in your thoughts, and do not curse a rich man in your bedroom because a bird of the heavens will carry your voice and an animal with wings will make it known.

The Ways of a Wise Man

11 Throw your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. ² Share what you have with seven, or even with eight, for you do not know what trouble may come on the earth. ³ If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth. And if a tree falls to the south or to the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies. ⁴ He who watches the wind will not plant his seeds. And he who looks at the clouds will not gather the food. ⁵ Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the bones are made of a child yet to be born, so you do not know the work of God Who makes all things. ⁶ Plant your seeds in the morning, and do not be lazy in the evening. You do not know which will grow well, the morning or evening planting, or if both of them alike will do well.

⁷ Light is pleasing. It is good for the eyes to see the sun. ⁸ If a man should live many years, let him have joy in them all. Yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. All that comes is for nothing.

What Young People Should Do

⁹ Young man, be filled with joy while you are young. And let your heart be happy while you are a young man. Follow the ways of your heart and the desires of your eyes. But know that God will judge you for all these things. ¹⁰ So put away trouble from your heart, and put away pain from your body. Because the years when you were a child and the best years of your life are going by fast.

12 Remember also your Maker while you are young, before the days of trouble come and the years when you will say, “I have no joy in them,” ² before the sun, the light, the moon and the stars are made dark, and clouds return after the rain. ³ This will be the day when the men who watch the house shake in fear. Strong men bow. Those who grind will stop because they are few. And the eyes of those who look through windows will not see well. ⁴ The doors on the street will be shut when the sound of the grinding is no more. One will rise up at the sound of a bird. All the daughters of song will sing very low. ⁵ Men will be afraid of a high place and of fears on the road. Flowers will grow on the almond tree. The grasshopper will pull himself along. And desire will be at an end. For man will go to his home that lasts forever, while people filled with sorrow go about in the street. ⁶ Remember Him before the silver rope of life is broken and the gold dish is crushed. Remember Him before the pot by the well is broken and the wheel by the water-hole is crushed. ⁷ Then the dust will return to the earth as it was. And the spirit will return to God Who gave it. ⁸ “It is of no use,” says the Preacher, “It is all for nothing!”

The Preacher’s Last Words

⁹ Besides being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people much learning. He thought about, and looked for, and put together many wise sayings. ¹⁰ The Preacher looked to find pleasing words and to write words of truth in the right way.

¹¹ The words of wise men are like a stick. Their gathered sayings are like well-driven nails given by one Shepherd. ¹² But more than this, my son, be careful. There is no end to the writing of many books and reading many of them makes the body tired.

¹³ The last word, after all has been heard, is: Honor God and obey His Laws. This is all that every person must do. ¹⁴ For God will judge every act, even everything which is hidden, both good and bad.

The Christian Way to Give

8 Christian brothers, we want you to know how the loving-favor of God has been shown in the churches in the country of Macedonia. ² They have been put to the test by much trouble, but they have much joy. They have given much even though they were very poor. ³ They gave as much as they could because they wanted to. ⁴ They asked from their hearts if they could help the Christians in Jerusalem. ⁵ It was more than we expected. They gave themselves to the Lord first. Then they gave themselves to us to be used as the Lord wanted. ⁶ We asked Titus to keep on helping you finish this act of love. He was the one to begin this. ⁷ You are rich in everything. You have faith. You can preach. You have much learning. You have a strong desire to help. And you have love for us. Now do what you should about giving also. ⁸ I am not saying that you must do this, but I have told you how others have helped. This is a way to prove how true your love is. ⁹ You know of the loving-favor shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. He was rich, but He became poor for your good. In that way, because He became poor, you might become rich.

¹⁰ This is what I think. You had better finish what you started a year ago. You were the first to want to give a gift of money. ¹¹ Now do it with the same strong desires you had when you started. ¹² If a man is ready and willing to give, he should give of what he has, not of what he does not have. ¹³ This does not mean that others do not have to give and you have to give much. You should share alike. ¹⁴ You have more than you need now. When you have need, then they can help you. You should share alike. ¹⁵ The Holy Writings say, “The man who gathered much did not have too much. The man who did not gather much had enough.” ^(A)

A Fool Trusts in Riches

49 Hear this, all people. Listen, all who live in the world, ² both small and great, rich and poor together. ³ My mouth will speak wisdom. And the thoughts of my heart will be understanding. ⁴ I will turn my ear to a wise saying. With a harp, I will tell what is hard to understand.

⁵ Why should I be afraid in the days of trouble, when the sin of those who hate me is all around me? ⁶ They trust in their riches, and are proud of all they have. ⁷ No man can save his brother. No man can pay God enough to save him. ⁸ The cost is much for his soul to be saved. Man should stop trying ⁹ to live forever and not see the grave.

¹⁰ For he sees that even wise men die. The fool and those who cannot think well die alike. And they leave their riches to others. ¹¹ They think in their hearts that their houses will last forever, and that the places where they live will last for all their children to follow. They have used their own names to name their lands. ¹² But man with all his honor does not last. He is like the animals that die.

¹³ This is the way of the foolish, and of those after them who believe in their words. ¹⁴ Like sheep they are meant for the grave. Death will be their shepherd. And those who are right with God will rule over them in the morning. Their bodies will be eaten by the grave, so that they have no place to stay. ¹⁵ But God will free my soul from the power of the grave. For He will take me to Himself.

¹⁶ Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich and when his house grows in greatness. ¹⁷ For when he dies he will take nothing with him. His greatness will not go down with him. ¹⁸ Even if while he lives, he thinks good of himself, and even though men praise you when you do well for yourself, ¹⁹ he will go and join the family of his fathers. They will never see the light. ²⁰ Man with all his honor, yet without understanding, is like the animals that die.

²⁰ Have I not written to you great things of wise teaching and much learning ²¹ to show you that the words of truth are sure, so you may give a true answer to him who sent you?