⁷ Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine^(A) with a joyful heart,^(B) for God has already approved what you do. ⁸ Always be clothed in white,^(C) and always anoint your head with oil. ⁹ Enjoy life with your wife,^(D) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot^(E) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever^(F) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,^(G) for in the realm of the dead,^(H) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.^(I)

¹¹ I have seen something else under the sun:

¹² Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

¹² When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent^(A) at this time, relief^(B) and deliverance^(C) for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”^(D)

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit^(A) himself intercedes for us^(B) through wordless groans. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts^(C) knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes^(D) for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good^(E) of those who love him, who^[a] have been called^(F) according to his purpose.^(G)