The Evils of Oppression

4 Then I looked again at all the acts of ^(A)oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had ^(B)no one to comfort them; and power was on the side of their oppressors, but they had no one to comfort them. ² So ^(C)I congratulated the dead who are already dead, more than the living who are still living. ³ But ^(D)better off than both of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil activity that is done under the sun.

⁴ I have seen that every labor and every ^(E)skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a person and his neighbor. This too is ^(F)futility and striving after wind. ⁵ The fool ^(G)folds his hands and ^(H)consumes his own flesh. ⁶ One hand full of rest is ^(I)better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

⁷ Then I looked again at futility under the sun. ⁸ There was a man without a ^[a]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^(J)his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And ^(K)for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an ^(L)unhappy task.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; ¹⁰ for if ^[b]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ^[c]another to lift him up! ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[d]keep warm, but ^(M)how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[e]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

¹³ A ^(N)poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ^[f]instruction— ¹⁴ for he has come ^(O)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵ I have seen all those living under the sun move to the side of the second youth who ^[g]replaces him. ¹⁶ There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them. Even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him; for this too is ^(P)futility and striving after wind.

Your Attitude toward God

5 ^[h](Q)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the ^(R)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. ^2 [i]Do not be ^(S)quick with your mouth or ^[j]impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your ^(T)words be few. ³ For the dream comes through much ^[k]effort, and the voice of a ^(U)fool through many words.

⁴ When you ^(V)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ^(W)Pay what you vow! ⁵ It is ^(X)better that you not vow, than vow and not pay. ⁶ Do not let your ^[l]speech cause ^[m]you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ^(Y)mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, ^[n](Z)fear God.

⁸ If you see ^(AA)oppression of the poor and ^(AB)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^(AC)shocked at the ^[o]sight; for one ^[p]official watches over another ^[q]official, and there are higher ^[r]officials over them. ⁹ After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.

The Foolishness of Riches

^10 (AD)One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. ^11 (AE)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to ^[s]look at them? ¹² The sleep of the laborer is ^(AF)sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the ^[t]full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.

¹³ There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ^(AG)wealth being ^[u]hoarded by its owner to his detriment. ¹⁴ When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing ^[v]to support him. ^15 (AH)As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will ^(AI)take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person ^[w]is born, so will he ^[x]die. ^(AJ)What then is the advantage for him who ^(AK)labors for the wind? ¹⁷ All his life ^(AL)he also eats in darkness with ^(AM)great irritation, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸ Here is what I have seen to be ^(AN)good and ^[y]fitting: to eat, to drink, and ^[z]enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few ^[aa]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^[ab](AO)reward. ¹⁹ Furthermore, as for every person to whom ^(AP)God has given riches and wealth, He has also ^(AQ)given him the opportunity to ^[ac]enjoy them and to receive his ^[ad]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ^(AR)gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not often call to mind the ^[ae]years of his life, because ^(AS)God keeps ^[af]him busy with the joy of his heart.

The Futility of Life

6 There is an ^(AT)evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is widespread ^[ag]among mankind: ² a person to whom God has ^(AU)given riches, wealth, and honor, so that his soul ^(AV)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the opportunity to ^[ah]enjoy these things, but a foreigner ^[ai]enjoys them. This is futility and a severe affliction. ³ If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, however many ^[aj]they may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things and he does not even have a proper ^(AW)burial, then I say, “Better ^(AX)the miscarriage than he, ⁴ for a miscarriage comes in futility and goes into darkness; and its name is covered in darkness. ⁵ It has not even seen the sun nor does it know it; yet ^[ak]it is better off than that man. ⁶ Even if the man lives a thousand years twice, but does not see good things—^(AY)do not all go to one and the same place?”

^7 (AZ)All a person’s labor is for his mouth, and yet ^[al]his appetite is not ^[am]satisfied. ⁸ For ^(BA)what advantage does the wise person have over the fool? What does the poor person have, knowing how to walk before the living? ⁹ What the eyes ^(BB)see is better than what the soul ^[an]desires. This too is ^(BC)futility and striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever ^(BD)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; for he ^(BE)cannot dispute with the ^[ao]one who is mightier than he is. ¹¹ For there are many words which increase futility. What then is the advantage to a person? ¹² For who knows what is good for a person during his lifetime, during the few ^[ap]years of his futile life? He will ^[aq]spend them like a shadow. For who can tell a person ^(BF)what will happen after him under the sun?

Paul’s Vision

12 ^(A)Boasting is necessary, though it is not beneficial; but I will go on to visions and ^(B)revelations ^[a]of the Lord. ² I know a man ^(C)in Christ, who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^(D)God knows—such a man was ^(E)caught up to the ^(F)third heaven. ³ And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^(G)God knows— ⁴ was ^(H)caught up into ^(I)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. ^5 (J)In behalf of such a man I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except regarding my ^(K)weaknesses. ⁶ For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^(L)foolish, ^(M)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ Because of the extraordinary greatness of the ^(N)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given to me a ^(O)thorn in the flesh, a ^(P)messenger of Satan to ^[b]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸ Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord ^(Q)three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(R)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(S)boast ^[c]about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(T)I delight in weaknesses, in ^[d]insults, in ^(U)distresses, in ^(V)persecutions, in ^(W)difficulties, ^(X)in behalf of Christ; for ^(Y)when I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹ I have become ^(Z)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was ^(AA)in no respect inferior to the ^[e]most eminent apostles, even though ^(AB)I am a nobody. ¹² The ^(AC)distinguishing marks ^[f]of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ^[g]signs, wonders, and ^[h]miracles. ¹³ For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^(AD)I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^(AE)this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(AF)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(AG)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(AH)do not seek what is yours, but ^(AI)you; for ^(AJ)children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^(AK)parents for their children. ¹⁵ I will ^(AL)most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If ^(AM)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(AN)did not burden you myself; nevertheless, devious person that I am, I ^(AO)took you in by deceit. ^17 (AP)Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? ¹⁸ I ^(AQ)urged ^(AR)Titus to go, and I sent ^(AS)the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ^[i]conduct ourselves ^[j]in the same ^(AT)spirit and walk ^(AU)in the same steps?

¹⁹ All this time ^[k]you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^(AV)it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^(AW)all for building you up, ^(AX)beloved. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(AY)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(AZ)strife, jealousy, ^(BA)angry tempers, ^(BB)selfishness, ^(BC)slanders, ^(BD)gossip, ^(BE)arrogance, ^(BF)disturbances; ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(BG)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(BH)impurity, sexual immorality, and indecent behavior which they have practiced.