Ecclesiastes 9 Cross References - EJ2000

¹ ¶ Certainly I applied my heart unto all of this that I might declare all of this: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God; no man knows either love or hatred by all that passes before them. ² All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices and to him that does not sacrifice: as unto the good so unto the sinner; and unto him that swears as unto him that fears the oath. ³ This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all; and also that the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. ⁴ ¶ For to him that is still among the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know that they shall die, but the dead do not know any thing; neither do they have any more reward, for their memory is placed into oblivion. ⁶ Even their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion in the age in any thing that is done under the sun. ⁷ Go, eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a joyful heart that thy works might be acceptable unto God. ⁸ Thy garments shall always be white, and thy head shall never lack ointment. ⁹ Live joyfully with the wife whom thou dost love all the days which thou art to live in this lake of vanity, which are given unto thee; all the days of thy vanity under the sun: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labour in which thou dost work under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever thy hand finds to do, do it with all thy might, for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol, where thou goest. ¹¹ ¶ I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of prudence, nor yet grace to men of eloquence; but time and chance happens to them all. ¹² For man also does not know his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in the evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them. ¹³ ¶ I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, which is important unto me: ¹⁴ There was a little city and few men within it; and a great king came against it and besieged it and built great bulwarks against it; ¹⁵ now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no one remembered that same poor man. ¹⁶ Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength: even though the poor man’s knowledge is despised, and his words are not heard. ¹⁷ The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that rules among fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

³ Yea, he loved the peoples; all his saints are in thy hand; they also united at thy feet; they received thy words.

⁹ He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked perish in darkness, for no man shall prevail by their own strength.

²⁵ But the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city; if I shall find grace in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again and show me both it and his tabernacle. ²⁶ But if he should say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here I am, let him do to me as seems good unto him.

⁸ I would certainly seek God, and unto God would I commit my affairs;

¹⁰ In his hand is the soul of every living thing and the spirit of all flesh of man.

¹⁴ Thou hast seen it, for thou dost behold mischief and spite to requite it with thy hand: the poor commits himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

⁵ Into thy hand shall I commit my spirit; thou shalt ransom me, O LORD God of truth.

⁵ Gimel Turn thy way unto the LORD and wait in him, and he shall bring it to pass. ⁶ And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy uprightness as the noonday.

³ For I became angry against the foolish when I saw the peace of the wicked.

¹¹ And they say, How does God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? ¹² Behold, these ungodly men, without being troubled by the world obtain riches. ¹³ Verily, in vain have I cleansed my heart and washed my hands in innocency

³ ¶ Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

¹⁷ And I gave my heart to know wisdom and knowledge and to know folly and those who are mad; I learned in the end that this also is vexation of spirit.

¹⁵ All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perishes for his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his days by his wickedness.

²⁵ I applied my heart to know and to search and to seek out wisdom and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the madness of error;

¹⁴ ¶ There is another vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are just men, who are recompensed as if they had done according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, who are recompensed as if they had done according to the work of the righteous; I say that this also is vanity.

¹⁶ Therefore I applied mine heart to know wisdom and to see the business that is done upon the earth (for also there is he that neither day nor night sees sleep with his eyes).

¹⁴ The fool multiplies words and says, Man cannot tell what shall be, and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

⁹ And the wiser the preacher became that much more did he teach wisdom to the people, causing them to listen and to search things out, and he composed many proverbs. ¹⁰ The preacher sought to find willing words and upright writings, even words of truth.

¹² ¶ LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought in us all our works.

¹ ¶ Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye peoples, from far, The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother he has remembered my name. ² And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; with the shadow of his hand he has covered me, and made me a clean arrow; in his quiver he has kept me. ³ And he said unto me, Thou art my slave, O Israel; in thee I will glory. ⁴ But I said, I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is before the LORD and my recompense with my God.

¹⁸ For, behold, I have made thee this day as a defenced city and as an iron pillar and as a wall of brass upon all the earth against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land. ¹⁹ And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.

¹⁵ We say, therefore, now, that blessed are the proud and even that those that work wickedness are prospered; those that tempted God have escaped. ¹⁶ Then those that feared the LORD spoke one to another, and the LORD hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those that feared the LORD and for those that think in his name. ¹⁷ And they shall be mine, said the LORD of the hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him. ¹⁸ Therefore become ye converted, and ye shall make a difference between the just and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that did not serve him.

²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; ²⁸ and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and my Father are one.

⁵ ¶ Who then is Paul? and who is Apollos? but servants by whom ye believed, each one according to that which the Lord gave. ⁶ I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but God that gives the increase. ⁸ Now he that plants and he that waters are one although each one shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. ⁹ For we are labourers together with God; ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds upon it. But let each one see how the building is built. ¹¹ ¶ For no one can lay another foundation than that laid, which is Jesus the Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, ¹³ the work of each one shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire; the work of each one, whatever sort it is, the fire shall put it to test. ¹⁴ If the work of anyone abides which he has built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.

¹² For which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

⁵ who are kept in the virtue of God by faith, to attain unto the saving health which is made ready to be manifested in the last time.

³ and I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of the heavens and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell;

⁸ And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be free from this my oath; only do not bring my son there again. ⁹ Then the slave put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him concerning that matter.

¹⁷ And the men said unto her, We will be exempted of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear in the following manner. ¹⁸ Behold, when we come into the land, thou shall have bound this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by, and thou shall have brought thy father and thy mother and thy brethren and all thy father’s household home unto thee. ¹⁹ And it shall be that whoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his own head, and we will be guiltless; and whoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head if any hand touches him. ²⁰ And if thou should declare this our business, then we will be exempted of thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

²⁶ And when the people were come into the wood, behold, the honey dropped, but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

²² ¶ One thing remains, that I say, He consumes the perfect and the wicked.

⁷ ¶ Why do the wicked live and become old and even increase in riches? ⁸ Their seed is with them, established in their sight, and their offspring before their eyes. ⁹ Their houses are safe from fear; neither is the rod of God upon them. ¹⁰ Their cows conceive, and do not abort; their cows calve and do not cast forth their young. ¹¹ They send forth their little ones like a flock of sheep, and their children dance. ¹² They jump at the sound of the timbrel and harp and rejoice at the sound of the organ. ¹³ They spend their days in pleasure and in a moment go down to Sheol. ¹⁴ Therefore, they say unto God, Depart from us; for we do not desire the knowledge of thy ways. ¹⁵ Who is the Almighty that we should serve him? And what profit should we have if we pray unto him? ¹⁶ Behold that their good is not in their hands; the counsel of the wicked is far from me. ¹⁷ ¶ How often is the lamp of the wicked put out and their destruction comes upon them, and God distributes sorrows upon them in his anger. ¹⁸ They shall be as stubble before the wind and as chaff taken up by the whirlwind. ¹⁹ God shall lay up his violence for their sons; and he will reward him so that he shall know it. ²⁰ His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty. ²¹ For what delight shall he have in his house after him, being cut off in the number of his months? ²² Shall he teach God knowledge, seeing he judges those that are high? ²³ This one shall die in the full strength of his beauty, being completely at ease and quiet. ²⁴ His breasts are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow. ²⁵ And another dies in the bitterness of his soul, never having eaten with pleasure. ²⁶ They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them. ²⁷ ¶ Behold, I know your thoughts and the imaginations which ye devise against me. ²⁸ For ye say, What is of the house of the prince, and what of the tent of the habitation of the wicked? ²⁹ Have ye not asked those that go by the way, and do ye not know their tokens? ³⁰ That the wicked is reserved for the day of destruction, they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath. ³¹ Who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he has done? ³² He shall yet be brought to the grave and shall remain in the tomb. ³³ The clods of the river valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall be drawn after him, as there were innumerable before him. ³⁴ How then do ye comfort me in vain, given that your answers remain as falsehood?

¹⁴ The wise man has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness: And I myself also understood that one event happens to the one and to the other. ¹⁵ Then I said in my heart, As it shall happen to the fool, so it shall happen even to me. Why have I worked until now to make myself wiser? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity. ¹⁶ For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever, seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And also the wise man shall die the same as the fool.

²⁶ For God gives to the man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to the one that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

⁶ For though the other should live a thousand years twice and has not enjoyed good; both shall surely go to the same place.

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 will lay it to his heart.

¹⁸ It is good that thou should take hold of this; and also from the other not withdraw thy hand; for he that fears God shall come through with everything.

¹² Though a sinner does evil one hundred times and his judgment is prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with those that fear God, who fear before his presence; ¹³ but it shall never be well with the wicked, neither shall his days be prolonged, which are as a shadow, because he did not fear before the presence of God. ¹⁴ ¶ There is another vanity which is done upon the earth: that there are just men, who are recompensed as if they had done according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men, who are recompensed as if they had done according to the work of the righteous; I say that this also is vanity.

¹⁸ seeing he despised the oath to invalidate the covenant when, behold, he had given his hand and has done all these things, he shall not escape. ¹⁹ Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken, even it will I turn upon his own head.

³ Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth; for every one that steals (as it is written on one side of the roll) shall be destroyed; and every one that swears (as it is written on the other side of the roll) shall be destroyed. ⁴ I brought it forth, said the LORD of the hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name; and it shall remain in the midst of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.

⁵ And I will come near unto you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and do not fear me, said the LORD of the hosts.

¹⁵ We say, therefore, now, that blessed are the proud and even that those that work wickedness are prospered; those that tempted God have escaped.

¹⁸ Therefore become ye converted, and ye shall make a difference between the just and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that did not serve him.

⁵ And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

²¹ And the LORD smelled a savour of rest, and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his childhood; neither will I again smite any more every living thing as I have done.

¹⁶ How much less the man who is abominable and filthy, who drinks iniquity like water?

⁵ Behold, the pain of my iniquity has caused me to writhe; my mother conceived me so that sin might be removed from me.

³² ¶ For his wickedness shall the wicked be cast out, but the righteous in his death has hope.

¹¹ Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

² All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean and to the unclean; to him that sacrifices and to him that does not sacrifice: as unto the good so unto the sinner; and unto him that swears as unto him that fears the oath.

⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was before and the spirit returns unto God who gave it.

⁹ The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who shall know it?

¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: ²⁰ these are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

²¹ For from within, out of the heart of men, come forth the evil thoughts, the adulteries, the fornications, the murders, ²² the thefts, the covetousness, the wickedness, the deceit, the lasciviousness, the evil eye, the slander, the pride, the unwiseness: ²³ all these evil things come out from within and defile the man.

¹¹ And they were filled with madness and talked one with another about what they might do to Jesus.

¹⁷ And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have abundance of bread, and I perish here with hunger!

²³ And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give God the glory, and he expired eaten of worms.

¹¹ And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.

²⁴ ¶ And as he spoke these things and answered for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, without mercy.

³ For we ourselves also were foolish in another time, rebellious, deceived, serving diverse lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

¹⁶ and was rebuked for his iniquity; a dumb animal accustomed to a yoke (upon which he was seated), speaking with man’s voice, hindered the madness of the prophet.

⁷ ¶ For there is yet hope for a tree, if it is cut down, that it will sprout again and that its tender branch will not cease. ⁸ Though its root waxes old in the earth and its trunk is dead in the ground, ⁹ at the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a new plant. ¹⁰ But when man shall die and be cut off, and the man shall perish, where shall he be? ¹¹ The waters from the sea went, and the river ran out, it dried up. ¹² So man lies down and does not rise; until there is no heaven, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep.

⁸ For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he has stolen much, when God takes away his soul?

¹⁸ For the grave shall not confess thee, nor shall death praise thee; nor shall those that go down into the pit wait for thy truth.

²¹ ¶ Zain This shall go down into my heart; therefore I shall wait. ²² Chet It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed because his mercies never diminish.

²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass from there to us. ²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹ Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

⁸ The eyes of those that see me now shall not see me again; thine eyes shall be upon me, and I will cease to be. ⁹ As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he that goes down to Sheol, who shall not come up again; ¹⁰ he shall return no more to his house; neither shall his place know him any more.

²¹ His sons shall be honoured and he shall not know of it; or they shall be afflicted, but he shall not perceive of them.

²³ For I know that thou dost conduct me unto death and to the house appointed for all living.

⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in Sheol who shall give thee thanks?

¹⁰ ¶ Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. ¹¹ Shall thy mercy be declared in the grave? or thy truth in hell? ¹² Shall thy wonder be known in darkness? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹⁵ Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

¹¹ There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

¹⁶ For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever, seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And also the wise man shall die the same as the fool.

¹⁰ Then I also saw that the wicked who were buried came into remembrance more than those who had frequented the holy place, and these were forgotten in the city where they had worked uprightly. This also is vanity.

¹⁴ They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise because thou hast visited and destroyed them and made all their memory to perish.

¹⁶ Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel not acknowledge us; thou, O LORD, art our father; our everlasting Redeemer is thy name.

²⁷ And as it is appointed unto men to die once, and after this the judgment;

⁸ ¶ Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

¹⁷ There the wicked cease from troubling; and there the weary are at rest. ¹⁸ There the prisoners rest together, they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.

³ Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man in whom there is no salvation. ⁴ His spirit shall go forth, he shall return to his earth; in that very day all his thoughts shall perish.

²⁸ The hope of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked shall perish.

¹⁸ Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun, which I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me. ¹⁹ And who knows whether he shall be a wise man or a fool, he who shall have rule over all my labour in which I have laboured and in which I have showed myself wise under the sun? This is also vanity. ²⁰ Therefore my heart began to despair again regarding all the labour which I took under the sun. ²¹ That the man who worked with wisdom and with knowledge and with uprightness would have to leave his portion to a man that has not laboured therein. This also is vanity and a great evil. ²² For what does man have of all his labour and of the vexation of his heart in which he has laboured under the sun? ²³ For all his days are only sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart does not take rest in the night. This is also vanity.

¹² For who knows what is good for man in this life, all the days of the life of his vanity which he causes to be as a shadow? for who shall teach the man what shall be after him under the sun?

²⁰ saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead who sought the death of the young child.

⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD looked upon Abel and his present, ⁵ but he did not look upon Cain and his present. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

¹⁹ Why didst thou say, She is my sister? I might have taken her to me to wife; now, therefore, behold thy wife, take her, and go away.

⁸ Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you concerning all these words. ⁹ ¶ Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, ¹⁰ and they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone like unto the heaven when it is clear. ¹¹ But he did not lay his hand upon the princes of the sons of Israel, and they saw God and ate and drank.

⁷ and there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye and your households shall rejoice in every work of your hands in which the LORD thy God has blessed thee.

¹² and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye and your sons and your daughters and your menslaves and your maidslaves and the Levite that is within your gates because he has no part nor inheritance with you.

¹⁴ And thou shalt rejoice in thy solemn feast, thou and thy son and thy daughter and thy manslave and thy maidslave and the Levite and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, that are within thy gates (or within thy towns). ¹⁵ Seven days shalt thou celebrate a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose; because the LORD thy God shall have blessed thee in all thy fruits and in all the works of thine hands, therefore, thou shalt truly be glad.

⁶⁶ On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they, blessing the king, went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done unto David, his slave, and unto Israel his people.

¹ ¶ So they brought the ark of God and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it, and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God. ² And when David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD. ³ And he dealt to all Israel, both men and women, to each one a loaf of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine.

²¹ And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD, on the next day, even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. ²² And they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon, the son of David, king the second time and anointed him unto the LORD as ruler and Zadok as priest. ²³ ¶ Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David, his father, and was prospered; and all Israel heard him.

²³ And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness. ²⁴ For Hezekiah, king of Judah, had given to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep, and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep, and a great number of priests sanctified themselves. ²⁵ And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. ²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. ²⁷ Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to the dwelling place of his sanctuary, unto heaven.

¹⁰ Then he said unto them, Go, eat the fat, and drink sweet wine, and send portions unto those who have nothing prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord, and not sad; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. ¹¹ So the Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying, Be silent, for the day is holy; neither be ye sad. ¹² And all the people went to eat and to drink and to send portions and to rejoice with great joy because they had understood the words that were taught unto them.

²⁴ There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. I also have seen that this is from the hand of God. ²⁵ For who can eat, or who can care for himself better than I? ²⁶ For God gives to the man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to the one that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.

¹² I have learned that there is nothing better for them, but to rejoice and to do good in his life. ¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour; it is the gift of God.

¹⁸ ¶ Behold therefore the good which I have seen: that good is to eat and to drink and to enjoy of the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion.

¹⁵ Therefore I commended joy because a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be merry, for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God gives him under the sun.

¹⁹ The banquet is made for pleasure, and wine makes merry; but money answers all things.

²⁹ And he said unto her, For this word go; the demon has gone out of thy daughter.

⁴¹ But rather give alms {lit. do acts of mercy} of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

⁵⁰ Jesus said unto him, Go; thy son lives. And the man believed the word that Jesus spoke unto him, and he went.

³⁵ but in every nation he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

³ Therefore, thou shalt wash thyself and anoint thyself and put thy raiment upon thee and go down to the threshingfloor, but do not make thyself known unto the man until he shall have finished eating and drinking.

² And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought an astute woman from there and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner and put on mourning apparel and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that has mourned for a long time for someone who is dead

²⁴ ¶ Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, also came down to meet the king and had neither washed his feet nor trimmed his beard nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

¹⁵ ¶ And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white and with a great crown of gold and with a mantel of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

⁵ Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup is running over.

³ I ate no pleasant bread, neither did flesh nor wine come into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all until the three weeks of days were fulfilled.

⁶ that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

¹⁷ But thou, when thou dost fast, anoint thine head, and wash thy face

⁴⁶ Thou didst not anoint my head with oil; but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment.

⁴ Yet thou hast a few persons in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy. ⁵ He that overcomes shall likewise be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.

⁹ After this I saw, and, behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and peoples and tongues stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with long white robes and palms in their hands

¹³ ¶ And one of the elders responded and asked me, Who are these who are arrayed in long white robes? and where did they come from? ¹⁴ And I said unto him, lord, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are those who came out of great tribulation and have washed their long robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵ Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.

¹⁴ And the armies that are in the heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

⁵ Behold, thou hast made my days as a handbreadth, and my age is as nothing before thee; verily every man that lives is altogether vanity. Selah.

⁴ Man is like unto vanity; his days are as a shadow that passes away.

¹⁸ Thy fountain shall be blessed; and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. ¹⁹ Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love, without eyes for anyone else.

²² ¶ Whosoever found a wife found a good thing and has attained the favour of the LORD.

¹⁴ ¶ House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but the prudent wife is from the LORD.

¹⁰ And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them; I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour, and this was my portion of all my labour.

²⁴ There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. I also have seen that this is from the hand of God.

¹³ And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour; it is the gift of God.

²² Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

¹⁵ And did he not make one, having in himself abundance of the Spirit? And why one? That he might seek offspring of God. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

³⁰ Then Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

¹⁹ Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore and build the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built unto the name of the LORD.

²⁰ And David said to Solomon, his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it; fear not, nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work of the service of the house of the LORD.

² Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God, gold for the things of gold, and silver for the things of silver, and brass for the things of brass, and iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, black stones and of different colours, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. ³ Moreover, because I have my delight in the house of my God, I have in my own treasury, gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the house of the sanctuary:

²⁰ And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was good and right and true before the LORD his God. ²¹ And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the commandments, he sought God and he did it with all his heart and was prospered.

¹⁴ And the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered according to the prophecy of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo. They built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel and according to the commandment of Cyrus and of Darius and of Artaxerxes, king of Persia. ¹⁵ And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius, the king.

¹² And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither did I tell any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon. ¹³ And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the fountain of the dragon and to the dung port and considered the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and its gates were consumed with fire. ¹⁴ Then I went on to the gate of the fountain and to the king’s pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. ¹⁵ Then went I up in the night by the brook and considered the wall and turned back and entered by the gate of the valley and so returned. ¹⁶ And the rulers did not know where I had gone or what I had done; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews nor to the priests nor to the nobles nor to the rulers nor to the rest that did the work.

¹² And next to them restored Shallum, the son of Halohesh, prince of the half part of Jerusalem, he and his daughters. ¹³ The valley gate was restored by Hanun with the inhabitants of Zanoah; they rebuilt it and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars, and a thousand cubits in the wall unto the dung gate. ¹⁴ And Malchiah, the son of Rechab, prince of the province of Bethhaccerem, restored the dung gate; he built it and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars. ¹⁵ Shallun, the son of Colhozeh, the prince of the region of Mizpah, restored the gate of the fountain; he built it, covered it, and set up its doors, its locks, and its bars, and the wall of the pool of Siloah of the king’s garden, unto the stairs that go down from the city of David. ¹⁶ After him restored Nehemiah, the son of Azbuk, the prince of half the region of Bethzur, unto the place over against the sepulchres of David and to the pool that was made and unto the house of the mighty.

² And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? Is this to be permitted them? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish on time? Will they resurrect the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which were burned?

⁶ But we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof, for the people were motivated to work.

⁹ Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God and set a watch over the builders day and night because of them. ¹⁰ And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall. ¹¹ And our adversaries said, They shall not know or see until we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease. ¹² But it came to pass, that when the Jews who dwelt among them came, they advised us ten times of all the places from which they would come upon us. ¹³ Therefore, I set in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I set the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

¹⁷ Those that built on the wall and those that bore burdens and those that laded wrought with one hand in the work and with the other held a weapon. ¹⁸ For the builders, each one had his sword girded by his side, and so they built. And he that sounded the shofar was by me. ¹⁹ And I said unto the principals and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. ²⁰ In whatever place that you hear the voice of the shofar, join us there; our God shall fight for us. ²¹ So we laboured in the work, and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared. ²² Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let each one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that by night they may be a guard to us, and labour by day. ²³ So neither I nor my brethren nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us put off our clothes, each one put them off only for washing.

⁸ And it grieved me sore; therefore, I cast forth all the household vessels of Tobiah out of the chamber. ⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I caused the vessels of the house of God to be brought there again, with the present and the frankincense. ¹⁰ ¶ And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them and that the Levites and the singers, that did the work, had fled each one to his inheritance. ¹¹ Then I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place. ¹² Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil unto the store houses. ¹³ And I made treasurers over the store houses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren. ¹⁴ Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my mercies that I have done for the house of my God and for its wards. ¹⁵ ¶ In those days I saw in Judah some treading wine presses on the sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading asses with wine, grapes, figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I protested unto them the day in which they sold the food. ¹⁶ There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought fish and all manner of merchandise, and sold on the sabbath to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do and profane thus the sabbath day? ¹⁸ Did not your fathers do this, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath. ¹⁹ And it came to pass, that when shadow came to the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened until after the sabbath; and I set some of my servants at the gates, that no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. ²⁰ So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. ²¹ Then I testified and protested against them and said unto them, Why do ye lodge about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the sabbath. ²² And I told the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and that they should come and guard the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. ²³ ¶ In those days I also saw Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab; ²⁴ and their sons spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and according to the language of each people; for they could not speak in the Jews’ language. ²⁵ And I contended with them and cursed them and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. ²⁶ Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, strange women caused even him to offend. ²⁷ Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange women? ²⁸ And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore, I chased him from me. ²⁹ Remember them, O my God because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites. ³⁰ Thus I cleansed them from all strangers and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, each one in his work, ³¹ and for the wood offering, at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

¹⁵ My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day, for I know not the numbers thereof. ¹⁶ I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. ¹⁷ O God, thou hast taught me from my youth and until now; I shall manifest thy wondrous works. ¹⁸ Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not until I have showed the strength of thy arm unto the next generation and thy power to every one that is to come,

⁵ For the living know that they shall die, but the dead do not know any thing; neither do they have any more reward, for their memory is placed into oblivion. ⁶ Even their love and their hatred and their envy is now perished; neither have they any more a portion in the age in any thing that is done under the sun.

³ If the clouds are full of rain, they shall empty themselves upon the earth; and if the tree falls toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall remain.

⁶ In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not which shall prosper, either this or that or whether they both shall be equally good.

¹⁸ For the grave shall not confess thee, nor shall death praise thee; nor shall those that go down into the pit wait for thy truth. ¹⁹ He who lives, he who lives, even he shall confess thee, as I do this day; the father to the sons shall make known thy truth.

¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, for ye shall seek me with all your heart.

³³ But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

³⁴ Jesus said unto them, My food is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work.

⁴ It is expedient that I do the works of him that sent me while it is day; the night comes, when no one can work.

²⁵ And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. ²⁶ Therefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of everyone. ²⁷ For I have not refrained from declaring unto you the full counsel of God. ²⁸ Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops to feed the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing, grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also from among your own selves, men shall arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. ³¹ Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

¹¹ not slothful in earnest care, but fervent in the Spirit, serving the Lord,

¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not wrought by me, unto the obedience of the Gentiles, with word and with deed, ¹⁹ with power of signs and wonders, in virtue of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have filled the entire area with the gospel of the Christ. ²⁰ And in this manner I preached this gospel, not where Christ had been named previously, not to build upon a foundation belonging to another,

²⁴ ¶ Know ye not that those who run in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it.

²⁶ I therefore so run, not as unto an uncertain thing; so I fight, not as one that beats the air;

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace towards me was not in vain, for I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

¹⁰ ¶ Now if Timothy comes, see that he may stay with you securely, for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.

¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

²³ And whatever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,

¹² ¶ For this reason, I will not leave off reminding you always of these things, although ye know them and are established in the present truth. ¹³ Because I have the right (as long as I am in this tabernacle) to stir you up by reminding you, ¹⁴ knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has declared unto me. ¹⁵ I will also make sure with diligence that after my decease ye might remember these things.

¹⁸ But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God, for it is he that gives thee the power to get wealth that he may confirm his covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

³ Do not multiply thyself speaking great and lofty things; let arrogant words cease from your mouth, for the LORD is the all-knowing God, and the magnificent works are his. ⁴ The bows of the mighty men have been broken, and the weak are girded with strength. ⁵ Those that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and those that were hungry ceased so that the barren has given birth to seven, and she that has many children is waxed feeble. ⁶ The LORD kills, and he gives life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. ⁷ The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and lifts up. ⁸ He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them. ⁹ He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked perish in darkness, for no man shall prevail by their own strength. ¹⁰ LORD, thine adversaries shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. {Heb. Messiah}

⁵⁰ So David overcame the Philistine with a sling and with a stone and smote the Philistine and slew him, but there was no sword in the hand of David.

¹⁸ ¶ And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel, and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe. ¹⁹ And Asahel pursued after Abner, and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. ²⁰ Then Abner looked behind him and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yes. ²¹ Then Abner said to him, Turn aside to thy right hand or to thy left and lay hold on one of the young men and take his spoil. But Asahel would not turn aside from following after him. ²² And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn aside from following me; why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab, thy brother? ²³ Howbeit he refused to turn aside; therefore, Abner with the butt end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib that the spear came out behind him, and he fell down there and died in the same place. And it came to pass that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai, the Archite, is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had given orders to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

²³ And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass and arose, and went home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order and hanged himself and died and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

¹⁵ and he said, Hearken, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Do not be afraid nor dismayed before this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

¹¹ who sets up the humble on high, that those who mourn may be lifted up with saving health. ¹² He frustrates the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. ¹³ He takes the wise in their own prudence, and the counsel of his adversaries is turned to folly. ¹⁴ They meet with darkness in the daytime and grope in the noonday as in the night.

²⁹ When he gives rest, who then can make trouble? If he hides his face, who then can behold him? This applies to a nation and the same to a man,

¹⁶ The king is not saved by the multitude of the army; the mighty man does not escape by much strength. ¹⁷ A horse is a vain thing for salvation; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

⁶ Therefore they are crowned with pride; they cover themselves with violence as a garment. ⁷ Their eyes stand out with fatness; they easily obtain the desires of their heart.

¹⁰ He does not delight in the strength of the horse; nor does he take pleasure in the legs of a man. ¹¹ The LORD takes pleasure in those that fear him, in those that wait upon his mercy.

³⁰ ¶ There is no wisdom nor intelligence nor counsel against the LORD. ³¹ The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but salvation is of the LORD.

¹² ¶ And I turned myself to behold wisdom and those who are mad, and folly; for what can the man do that comes after the king? even that which has already been done.

¹⁴ The wise man has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness: And I myself also understood that one event happens to the one and to the other. ¹⁵ Then I said in my heart, As it shall happen to the fool, so it shall happen even to me. Why have I worked until now to make myself wiser? Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

¹⁴ I have understood that whatever God does, it shall be for ever; nothing can be added to it, nor any thing taken from it because God does it that men should fear before him.

¹⁷ I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time determined to judge every will and regarding everything that is done.

¹ ¶ So I returned and considered all the violence that is done under the sun and behold the tears of such as are oppressed, and they have no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but the oppressed had no comforter.

⁴ ¶ Again, I considered all travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

¹³ Consider the work of God; for who can make straight that which he has twisted?

²³ ¶ Thus hath the LORD said, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches;

⁶ Do not let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they stumbled and fell toward the north by the river Euphrates.

³⁷ ¶ Mem Who shall he be that saith that something comes which the Lord has not sent? ³⁸ Mem Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?

³⁵ and all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing; and in the army of heaven and in the inhabitants of the earth, he does according to his will; nor is there anyone who can interfere with his hand and say unto him, What doest thou?

¹⁴ Therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, and the strong shall not strengthen his force, neither shall the mighty deliver his soul: ¹⁵ neither shall he that handles the bow stand; and he that is swift of foot shall not escape: neither shall he that rides the horse save his life. ¹⁶ And he that is strong among the mighty shall flee away naked in that day, said the LORD.

¹¹ in him in whom likewise we have obtained an inheritance, having had the way marked out beforehand according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will,

⁸ For a net shall be cast at his feet, and he shall walk upon a network. ⁹ The snare shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him. ¹⁰ The cord is hidden in the ground and a trap for him in the way.

⁶ Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, with winds of whirlwinds: this shall be the portion of their cup.

¹⁸ Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; in desolation thou shalt cause them to fall. ¹⁹ How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They have come to an end; they are utterly consumed with terrors. ²⁰ As the dream of one who awakes; so, O Lord, when thou shalt rise up, thou shalt despise their appearances.

¹⁵ Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly; suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

²² He went after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, ²³ until the arrow pierces through his liver. He is as a bird struggling in the snare and not knowing that it is against his own life.

⁶ ¶ In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the righteous shall sing and rejoice.

⁵ Whosoever keeps the commandment shall experience no evil thing, and a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment. ⁶ ¶ Because for every will there is time and judgment, because the evil of man is great upon him, ⁷ for he does not know that which shall be; nor when it shall be. Who will teach it to him?

¹³ Therefore this sin shall be to you as an open wall ready to fall and as a breach in a high defence, whose breaking comes suddenly at an instant.

¹⁴ And dost make men as the fishes of the sea, as reptiles that have no lord? ¹⁵ He shall take up all of them with his hook; he shall catch them in his net and gather them in his drag: therefore, he shall rejoice and be glad. ¹⁶ Therefore, he shall sacrifice unto his net and burn incense unto his drag because by them his portion is fat, and his food plenteous. ¹⁷ Shall he therefore empty his net, or have pity to stop slaying Gentiles continually?

²⁰ But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be which thou hast stored up?

³⁹ And know this: that if the husband of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken through.

²⁶ And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. ²⁷ They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. ²⁸ Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; ²⁹ but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. ³⁰ Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. ³¹ In that day, he who shall be upon the housetop and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away; and he that is in the field, let him likewise not turn back.

⁴² saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. ⁴³ For the days shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and constrain thee on every side ⁴⁴ and shall cast thee down to the ground and thy children within thee, and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

³⁴ And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with excess and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. ³⁵ For as a snare it shall come on all those that dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of man.

² (For he saith, I have heard thee in an acceptable time, and in the day of saving health I have succoured thee; behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of saving health.)

³ For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction shall come upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

²⁶ and that they may become converted out of the snare of the devil, in which they are captive to do his will.

¹² and have your honest conversation among the Gentiles, so that, in that which they murmur about you as of evildoers, having witnessed your good works, they may glorify God in the day of visitation.

¹² But these, speaking evil of the things that they do not understand (as natural animals without reason, who are made to be taken and destroyed), shall utterly perish in their own corruption,

¹ ¶ There is another evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is very common among men:

¹¹ ¶ I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of prudence, nor yet grace to men of eloquence; but time and chance happens to them all.

¹⁵ And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and the people went against the wall; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down. ¹⁶ Then a wise woman cried out in the city, Hear, hear, I pray you, tell Joab to come here, that I may speak with him. ¹⁷ And when he had come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I hear. ¹⁸ Then she spoke, saying, They used to speak in old times, saying, If you have a question ask it at Abel; and so they concluded the matter. ¹⁹ I am one of those that are peaceable and faithful in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel; why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? ²⁰ And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy. ²¹ The matter is not so, but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba, the son of Bichri, by name, has lifted up his hand against King David; give only him over, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. ²² Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew the shofar, and they retired from the city, each one to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

²⁴ ¶ And it came to pass after this, that Benhadad, king of Syria, gathered all his host and went up and besieged Samaria.

²³ Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph but forgot him.

²² Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba, the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew the shofar, and they retired from the city, each one to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

² And it was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, the keepers of the door, who had sought to lay hand on King Ahasuerus. ³ And the king said, What honour and dignity has been done unto Mordecai for this? Then the king’s servants who ministered unto him answered, Nothing has been done for him.

¹³ ¶ Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king who will no longer be admonished.

¹⁵ ¶ The rich man’s wealth is his strong city; the weakness of the poor is their poverty.

²² ¶ The wise man took the city of the mighty and cast down its strength in which it trusted.

⁵ The wise man is strong; and the man of understanding is a mighty man of valour.

¹⁹ Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men who are in the city.

¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

² And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From where has this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him and such mighty works that are wrought by his hands? ³ Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and of Juda and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

⁴⁷ Then the Pharisees answered them, Are ye also deceived? ⁴⁸ Have any of the princes or of the Pharisees believed on him? ⁴⁹ But this people who do not know the law are cursed.

²⁴ Then they called again the man that had been blind and said unto him, Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner. ²⁵ He answered and said, Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know; one thing I know, that having been blind, now I see. ²⁶ Then said they to him again, What did he do to thee? How did he open thine eyes? ²⁷ He answered them, I have told you already, and ye have heard; what more would ye hear? Do ye also desire to be his disciples? ²⁸ Then they reviled him and said, Be thou his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹ We know that God spoke unto Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where he is from. ³⁰ The man answered and said unto them, Indeed this is a marvellous thing that ye do not know where he is from, and yet he has opened my eyes. ³¹ Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone should fear God and do his will, him he will hear. ³² Since the world began it has not been heard of that anyone opened the eyes of one that was born blind. ³³ If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. ³⁴ They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.

²⁶ For look upon your vocation, brothers, that ye are not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, ²⁷ but rather God has chosen that which is the foolishness of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen that which is the weakness of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; ²⁸ and that which is vile of the world and that which is despised God has chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are, ²⁹ that no flesh should glory in his presence.

² For if a man with a gold ring and in precious apparel comes into your synagogue and a poor person in vile raiment also comes in, ³ and ye have respect to him that wears the precious clothing and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there or sit here under my footstool: ⁴ Are ye not then judging in yourselves and are become judges of evil thoughts? ⁵ Hearken, my beloved brethren, Has not God chosen the poor of this world that they might be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those that love him? ⁶ But ye have despised the poor. Do not the rich oppress you with tyranny and draw you with violence to the courts?

³³ ¶ Now therefore let Pharaoh find a discreet and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt. ³⁴ Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. ³⁵ And let them gather all the food of those good years that come and lay up wheat under the hand of Pharaoh to feed the cities, and let them store it up. ³⁶ And let that food be stored for the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; and the land shall not perish through the famine. ³⁷ And the word was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his slaves. ³⁸ And Pharaoh said unto his slaves, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? ³⁹ And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God has showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. ⁴⁰ Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou.

³ ¶ And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. ⁴ Then the sons of Israel did put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the LORD only. ⁵ And Samuel said, Gather all Israel in Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. ⁶ And they gathered together in Mizpeh and drew water and poured it out before the LORD and fasted on that day and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the sons of Israel in Mizpeh.

²³ ¶ He that rebukes a man, afterwards shall find more favour than he that flatters with the tongue.

² He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets.

⁴ He shall not tire nor faint until he has set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for his law.

²⁰ for the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, modest, benevolent, full of mercy and of good fruits, not judgmental, unfeigned. ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace unto those that make peace.

¹ ¶ But the sons of Israel committed a trespass in the anathema; for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the anathema; and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the sons of Israel.

⁵ And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty-six men; for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down; therefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.

¹¹ Israel has sinned and has even transgressed my covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the anathema and have also stolen and lied also, and they have even put it in their own vessels. ¹² Therefore, the sons of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but shall turn their backs before their enemies because they have been in the anathema; neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the anathema from among you.

²⁰ Peradventure did Achan, the son of Zerah, not commit a trespass in the anathema, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.

²⁸ Then one of the people spoke and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eats any food this day. And the people were faint. ²⁹ Then Jonathan said, My father has troubled the land. See, I pray you, how my eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁶ ¶ And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night and spoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatever seems good unto thee. Then the priest said, Let us draw near unto God here. ³⁷ And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he did not answer him that day. ³⁸ Then Saul said, Bring here all the chief of the people and know and see by whom this sin has been this day. ³⁹ For, as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan, my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. ⁴⁰ Then he said unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seems good unto thee. ⁴¹ Therefore, Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Show who is without blemish. And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people went out free. ⁴² And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken. ⁴³ Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; must I die for this. ⁴⁴ And Saul answered, God do so and more also, for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. ⁴⁵ Then the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great saving health in Israel? No, in no wise: as the LORD lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he has wrought with God this day. So the people rescued {Heb. ransomed} Jonathan that he did not die. ⁴⁶ Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

¹ ¶ And a man of Belial happened to be there, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a man of Jemini, and he blew the shofar, saying, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel. ² So all the men of Israel went up from after David and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah cleaved unto their king from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ Then I said, Wisdom is better than strength: even though the poor man’s knowledge is despised, and his words are not heard.

⁸ And then shall that Wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and remove with the clarity of his coming: ⁹ that wicked one, who shall come by the working of Satan with great power and signs and lying miracles, ¹⁰ and with all deception of iniquity working in those that perish because they did not receive the charity of the truth, to be saved. ¹¹ Therefore, for this cause, God shall send the operation of error in them, that they should believe the lie; ¹² that they all might be condemned who did not believe the truth, but consented to the iniquity.

¹⁶ But avoid profane and vain wordiness, for it will develop into ungodliness. ¹⁷ And that word will eat away as gangrene, of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have erred from the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past and have overthrown the faith of some.

⁸ And in the manner that Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth, men of corrupt understanding, reprobate concerning the faith.

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, they shall heap up unto themselves teachers who shall speak to them according to their own lusts, ⁴ and thus they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall return unto fables.

¹⁰ For there are many insubordinate and vain talkers and deceivers of souls, especially those of the circumcision, ¹¹ whose mouths it is expedient to stop, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain.

¹⁵ looking diligently that no one deviate from the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up impede you, and thereby many be defiled, ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.