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Wisdom and Folly
10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise is to his right,
and the heart of the fool is to his left.
3 Even as the fool walks along the way,
his heart lacks sense
and tells everyone what a fool he is.
4 If a ruler’s spirit rises up against you,
do not leave your post,
for composure allays great offences.
5 There is a wrong I have seen under the sun
like an error proceeding from a ruler.
6 Fools are placed in many high positions,
while the rich sit in low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,
and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,
and whoever breaks through a fence may be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them,
and whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10 If the iron axe is blunt
and one doesn’t sharpen the edge,
then he must exert more force.
So wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,
but the lips of a fool destroy him.
13 The words from his mouth begin as folly
and end as grievous madness—
14 and the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell him what will happen after him?
15 The mischief of fools wearies them
for he doesn’t know how to go to town.
16 Oy to you, O land, when your king is a youth[a]
and your princes feast in the morning.
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobles,
and your princes eat at the proper time—
in self-control and not in drunkenness!
18 By laziness the rafters sag,
and by idle hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes life glad—
but money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not ridicule the king—even in your thoughts,
nor curse the rich in your bedroom.
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
and a winged creature may report your words.
Wisdom of the Long View
11 Cast your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will find it.
2 Give portions to seven, or even to eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen upon the earth.
3 If the clouds are full,
they empty out rain upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to south or north,
the tree lies wherever it falls.
4 Whoever keeps watching the wind will not sow
and whoever gazes at the clouds will not reap.
5 Just as you do not know how the spirit passes into the bones in the womb of a pregnant woman,
so you do not know the work of God who makes all things.
6 In the morning sow your seed,
and in the evening do not let your hand be idle,
for you do not know if this or that will succeed,
or if both will prosper together.
7 Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 For if a man lives many years,
let him rejoice in them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness—
for there will be many.
Everything to come is obscure.
9 Rejoice, young man, in your childhood,
and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.
Walk in the ways of your heart
and in the sight of your eyes,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment.
10 So banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off distress from your body,
for youth and prime of life are fleeting.
Ode for the Aging
12 So remember your Creator
in the days of your youth:
before the days of misery come,
and years draw near when you will say:
“I have no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and light and moon
and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds dissipate after the rain,
3 in the day the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when grinders stop because they are few,
and those peering out windows grow dim,
4 when doors are shut in the street
and the sound of the mill fades,
when one arises at the chirp of a bird
and all their songs grow faint,
5 when they also are afraid of heights
and of dangers on the road,
when the almond tree blossoms,
the grasshopper drags itself along,
and the caper berry fails to excite—
for a man is going to his eternal home,
and mourners go about in the street—
6 before the silver cord is snapped,
or the golden bowl is crushed,
or the jug at the cistern is shattered,
or the wheel at the well is broken.
7 Then the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Evanescent vapors,” says Kohelet.
All is futility.
Conclusion: Fear God
9 Furthermore, Kohelet was not only wise but he also taught the people knowledge. He pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs. 10 Kohelet searched to find delightful words and truthful, accurate sayings. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collective sayings are like firmly affixed nails. They have been given by one Shepherd. 12 Be warned my son of anything in addition to them: There is no end to the making of many books, and excessive study wearies the flesh.
13 A final word, when all has been heard:
Fear God and keep His mitzvot!
For this applies to all mankind.
14 God will bring every deed into judgment,
including everything that is hidden,
whether it is good or evil.
Eagerness to Give
8 Now we make known to you, brothers and sisters, the grace God has given to Messiah’s communities in Macedonia— 2 that in much testing by affliction, the abundance of their joy and their extreme poverty overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and even beyond their ability, they gave of their own free will— 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of sharing in the relief of the kedoshim. 5 Moreover, it was not just as we had hoped, but they gave of themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. 6 So we urged Titus that, just as he had made a start before, so he should also complete this gracious service for you. 7 But as you excel in everything—in faith and speech and knowledge and all diligence, and in your love for us—also excel in this grace. 8 I am saying this not as a command, but I am trying to prove by the diligence of others the genuineness of your love as well. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah—that even though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that through His poverty you might become rich. 10 Now I give my opinion in this matter, that it is a credit to you that a year ago you were the first to start—not only to do but even to be willing. 11 But now finish doing it, so that just as there was eagerness to be willing, so also to finish it, out of what you have. 12 For if the eagerness is present, the gift is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he doesn’t have. 13 For it is not relief for others and hardship for you, but as a matter of equality. 14 Your abundance at this present time meets their need, so that their abundance may also meet your need—so that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.”[a]
Rich and Poor Alike
Psalm 49
1 For the music director: a psalm of the sons of Korah.
2 Hear this, all you peoples.
Give ear, all you inhabitants of the world,
3 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
4 My mouth speaks wisdom,
My heart’s meditation is understanding.
5 I will turn my ear to a proverb.
I will utter my riddle on the harp:
6 Why should I fear in evil days?
when the iniquity of my deceivers surrounds me?
7 Or those trusting in their wealth,
boasting about their great riches?
8 No man can redeem his brother,
or give to God a ransom for him.
9 For the redemption of a soul is costly—
so, one should stop trying forever.
10 Will he live forever—
and never see the Pit?
11 Surely he must see, even wise men die.
The fool and the brutish will alike perish,
leaving their wealth to others.[a]
12 Their inward thought is:
Their houses are eternal,
their dwellings for generation after generation.
They name their lands after themselves.
13 But the pompous man will not endure—
he is like the beasts that perish.
14 Such is the way of the self-confident,
and their followers who approve their sayings. Selah
15 Like sheep they are destined for Sheol.
Death will be their shepherd
and the upright will rule over them in the morning.
Their image will decay in Sheol—
far from its lofty place.
16 But God redeems my soul from the power of Sheol—
for He receives me. Selah
17 Do not be afraid when a man gets rich,
when his house’s splendor increases.
18 For when he dies he takes nothing away.
His splendor will not follow him down.
19 Though during his life he congratulates himself,
and men praise you when you do well for yourself—
20 He will still join his fathers’ company,
who will never see the light.
21 A pompous man, without understanding—
he is like the beasts that perish.
20 Have I not written to you thirty sayings
of admonition and knowledge,
21 to show you true and reliable words,
that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.