Ecclesiastes 11:1-8

English Standard Version

Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

11 ^(A)Cast your bread upon the waters,
    ^(B)for you will find it after many days.
²^(C)Give a portion to ^(D)seven, or even to eight,
    ^(E)for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.
³If the clouds are full of rain,
    they empty themselves on the earth,
and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,
    in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
⁴He who observes the wind will not sow,
    and he who regards the clouds will not reap.

⁵As you do not know the way ^(F)the spirit comes to ^(G)the bones in the womb^[a] of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.

⁶In the morning sow your seed, and at evening ^(H)withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.

⁷Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to ^(I)see the sun.

⁸So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember ^(J)that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is ^(K)vanity.^[b]

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Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 11:5 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Targum; most Hebrew manuscripts As you do not know the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb
Ecclesiastes 11:8 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)

Galatians 5:16-24

English Standard Version

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶But I say, ^(A)walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify ^(B)the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For ^(C)the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, ^(D)to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸But if you are ^(E)led by the Spirit, ^(F)you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now ^(G)the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, ^(H)divisions, ²¹envy,^[a] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that ^(I)those who do^[b] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But ^(J)the fruit of the Spirit is ^(K)love, joy, peace, patience, ^(L)kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³^(M)gentleness, ^(N)self-control; ^(O)against such things there is no law. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus ^(P)have crucified the flesh with its ^(Q)passions and desires.

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Footnotes

Galatians 5:21 Some manuscripts add murder
Galatians 5:21 Or make a practice of doing

Matthew 16:13-20

English Standard Version

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

¹³^(A)Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴And they said, “Some say ^(B)John the Baptist, others say ^(C)Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶Simon Peter replied, ^(D)“You are ^(E)the Christ, ^(F)the Son of ^(G)the living God.” ¹⁷And Jesus answered him, ^(H)“Blessed are you, ^(I)Simon Bar-Jonah! For ^(J)flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, ^(K)but my Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I tell you, ^(L)you are Peter, and ^(M)on this rock^[a] I will build my church, and ^(N)the gates of ^(O)hell^[b] shall not prevail against it. ¹⁹I will give you ^(P)the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and ^(Q)whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed^[c] in heaven.” ²⁰^(R)Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.