Today's Reading

¹For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

²a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

³a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

⁵a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

⁷a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

⁸a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.

⁹What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

¹⁰I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

¹¹He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can't find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.

¹²I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live.

¹³Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

¹⁴I know that whatever God does, it shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it; and God has done it, that men should fear before him.

¹⁵That which is has been long ago, and that which is to be has been long ago: and God seeks again that which is passed away.

¹⁶Moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, that wickedness was there; and in the place of righteousness, that wickedness was there.

¹⁷I said in my heart, "God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work."

¹⁸I said in my heart, "As for the sons of men, God tests them, so that they may see that they themselves are like animals.

¹⁹For that which happens to the sons of men happens to animals. Even one thing happens to them. As the one dies, so the other dies. Yes, they have all one breath; and man has no advantage over the animals: for all is vanity.

²⁰All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.

²¹Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?"

²²Therefore I saw that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

¹Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

²Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

³Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

⁴Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man's neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

⁵The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself.

⁶Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind.

⁷Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

⁸There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. For whom then, do I labor, and deprive my soul of enjoyment? This also is vanity, yes, it is a miserable business.

⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn't have another to lift him up.

¹¹Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone?

¹²If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn't know how to receive admonition any more.

¹⁴For out of prison he came forth to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

¹⁵I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him.

¹⁶There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was-yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

¹Guard 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 do not know that they do evil.

²Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not 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.

³For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's speech with a multitude of words.

⁴When you vow a vow to God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

⁵It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

⁶Do not allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Do not protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

⁷For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.

⁸If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, do not marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them.

⁹Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

¹⁰He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

¹¹When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

¹²The 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.

¹³There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

¹⁴Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

¹⁵As 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.

¹⁶This 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?

¹⁷All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

¹⁸Behold, 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.

¹⁹Every 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.

²⁰For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

¹It is necessary to boast, though it is not profitable. But I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

²I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I do not know, or whether out of the body, I do not know; God knows), such a one caught up into the third heaven.

³I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I do not know; God knows),

⁴how he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

⁵On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.

⁶For if I would desire to boast, I will not be foolish; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, so that no man may think more of me than that which he sees in me, or hears from me.

⁷By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively.

⁸Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

⁹He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.

¹⁰Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

¹¹I have become foolish. You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing was I inferior to the very best apostles, though I am nothing.

¹²Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

¹³For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the churches, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

¹⁴Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you; for I seek not what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to save up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

¹⁵I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?

¹⁶But be it so, I did not myself burden you. But, being crafty, I caught you with deception.

¹⁷Did I take advantage of you by anyone of them whom I have sent to you?

¹⁸I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Did not we walk in the same spirit? Did not we walk in the same steps?

¹⁹Have you been thinking all this time that we have been defending ourselves before you? In the sight of God we speak in Christ; and all things, beloved, are for your edifying.

²⁰For I am afraid that by any means, when I come, I might find you not the way I want to, and that I might be found by you as you do not desire; that by any means there would be strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, whisperings, proud thoughts, riots;

²¹that again when I come my God would humble me before you, and I would mourn for many of those who have sinned before now, and not repented of the uncleanness and sexual immorality and lustfulness which they committed.

¹My son, if you have become collateral for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands in pledge for a stranger;

²You are trapped by the words of your mouth. You are ensnared with the words of your mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself. Press your plea with your neighbor.

⁴Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

⁵Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

⁷which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

⁸provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

⁹How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep?

¹⁰A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth;

¹³who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers;

¹⁴in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

¹⁵Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

¹⁶There are six things which the Lord hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him:

¹⁷haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood;

¹⁸a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

²⁰My son, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

²¹Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

²²When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the Law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

²⁴to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife's tongue.

²⁵Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

²⁶For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

²⁷Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. Whoever touches her will not be unpunished.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steals to satisfy himself when he is hungry:

³¹but if he is found, he shall restore seven times. He shall give all the wealth of his house.

³²He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

³³He will get wounds and dishonor. His reproach will not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy arouses the fury of the husband. He won't spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He won't regard any ransom, neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.