Oct.
21
Ecclesiastes
5-7
Ecc
5:1 Guard your steps when you go to God's house; for to draw near to
listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don't
know that they do evil.
Ecc
5:2 Don't be rash with your mouth, and don't let your heart be hasty
to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth.
Therefore let your words be few.
Ecc
5:3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's
speech with a multitude of words.
Ecc
5:4 When you vow a vow to God, don't defer to pay it; for he has no
pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
Ecc
5:5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow
and not pay.
Ecc
5:6 Don't allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don't protest
before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry
at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
Ecc
5:7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in
many words: but you must fear God.
Ecc
5:8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking
away of justice and righteousness in a district, don't marvel at the
matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are
officials over them.
Ecc
5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits
from the field.
Ecc
5:10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he
who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
Ecc
5:11 When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what
advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his
eyes?
Ecc
5:12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or
much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
Ecc
5:13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun:
wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
Ecc
5:14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a
son, there is nothing in his hand.
Ecc
5:15 As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go
again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may
carry away in his hand.
Ecc
5:16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so
shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?
Ecc
5:17 All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and
has sickness and wrath.
Ecc
5:18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one
to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he
labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given
him; for this is his portion.
Ecc
5:19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has
given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice
in his labor--this is the gift of God.
Ecc
5:20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because
God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
Ecc
6:1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is
heavy on men:
Ecc
6:2 a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he
lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him
no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it
is an evil disease.
Ecc
6:3 If a man fathers a hundred children, and lives many years, so
that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not filled with
good, and moreover he has no burial; I say, that a stillborn child is
better than he:
Ecc
6:4 for it comes in vanity, and departs in darkness, and its name is
covered with darkness.
Ecc
6:5 Moreover it has not seen the sun nor known it. This has rest
rather than the other.
Ecc
6:6 Yes, though he live a thousand years twice told, and yet fails
to enjoy good, don't all go to one place?
Ecc
6:7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is
not filled.
Ecc
6:8 For what advantage has the wise more than the fool? What has the
poor man, that knows how to walk before the living?
Ecc
6:9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the
desire. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.
Ecc
6:10 Whatever has been, its name was given long ago; and it is known
what man is; neither can he contend with him who is mightier than he.
Ecc
6:11 For there are many words that create vanity. What does that
profit man?
Ecc
6:12 For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his
vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what
will be after him under the sun?
Ecc
7:1 A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death
better than the day of one's birth.
Ecc
7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the
house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living
should take this to heart.
Ecc
7:3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face
the heart is made good.
Ecc
7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart
of fools is in the house of mirth.
Ecc
7:5 It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to
hear the song of fools.
Ecc
7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter
of the fool. This also is vanity.
Ecc
7:7 Surely extortion makes the wise man foolish; and a bribe
destroys the understanding.
Ecc
7:8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning. The patient in
spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
Ecc
7:9 Don't be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in
the bosom of fools.
Ecc
7:10 Don't say, "Why were the former days better than these?"
For you do not ask wisely about this.
Ecc
7:11 Wisdom is as good as an inheritance. Yes, it is more excellent
for those who see the sun.
Ecc
7:12 For wisdom is a defense, even as money is a defense; but the
excellency of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who
has it.
Ecc
7:13 Consider the work of God, for who can make that straight, which
he has made crooked?
Ecc
7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity
consider; yes, God has made the one side by side with the other, to
the end that man should not find out anything after him.
Ecc
7:15 All this have I seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous
man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who
lives long in his evildoing.
Ecc
7:16 Don't be overly righteous, neither make yourself overly wise.
Why should you destroy yourself?
Ecc
7:17 Don't be too wicked, neither be foolish. Why should you die
before your time?
Ecc
7:18 It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also from
that don't withdraw your hand; for he who fears God will come forth
from them all.
Ecc
7:19 Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who
are in a city.
Ecc
7:20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth, who does good and
doesn't sin.
Ecc
7:21 Also don't take heed to all words that are spoken, lest you
hear your servant curse you;
Ecc
7:22 for often your own heart knows that you yourself have likewise
cursed others.
Ecc
7:23 All this have I proved in wisdom. I said, "I will be
wise;" but it was far from me.
Ecc
7:24 That which is, is far off and exceedingly deep. Who can find it
out?
Ecc
7:25 I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out,
and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that
wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.
Ecc
7:26 I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares
and traps, whose hands are chains. Whoever pleases God shall escape
from her; but the sinner will be ensnared by her.
Ecc
7:27 Behold, this have I found, says the Preacher, one to another,
to find out the scheme;
Ecc
7:28 which my soul still seeks; but I have not found: one man among
a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not
found.
Ecc
7:29 Behold, this only have I found: that God made man upright; but
they search for many schemes.