Man Cannot Know God's Ways

¹⁴ There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people ^(A)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people ^(B)to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. ¹⁵ And I commend joy, for man ^(C)has nothing better under the sun but to ^(D)eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.

¹⁶ When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see ^(E)the business that is done on earth, how neither ^(F)day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, ¹⁷ then I saw all the work of God, that ^(G)man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, ^(H)he cannot find it out.

Death Comes to All

9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, ^(I)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are ^(J)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. ^2 (K)It is the same for all, since ^(L)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,^[a] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who ^(M)swears is as he who shuns an oath. ³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that ^(N)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and ^(O)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. ⁴ But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know that they will die, but ^(P)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for ^(Q)the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶ Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

Enjoy Life with the One You Love

⁷ Go, ^(R)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

^8 (S)Let your garments be always white. Let not ^(T)oil be lacking on your head.

⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your ^(U)vain^[b] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your ^(V)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(W)do it with your might,^{[c] (X)}for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Example of Hagar and Sarah

²¹ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(A)one by a slave woman and ^(B)one by a free woman. ²³ But ^(C)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(D)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(E)covenants. ^(F)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[a] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But ^(G)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

²⁸ Now you,^[b] brothers, ^(I)like Isaac, ^(J)are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(K)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(L)so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? ^(M)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(N)of the free woman.

Jesus Heals Many

^29 (A)Jesus went on from there and walked ^(B)beside the Sea of Galilee. And he ^(C)went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰ And great crowds came to him, bringing with them ^(D)the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, ^31 (E)so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, ^(F)the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And ^(G)they glorified ^(H)the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

^32 (I)Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ^(J)“I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³ And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” ³⁴ And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, ^(K)“Seven, and a few small fish.” ³⁵ And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, ³⁶ he took the seven loaves and the fish, and ^(L)having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ³⁷ And ^(M)they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. ³⁸ Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. ³⁹ And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of ^(N)Magadan.