Ecclesiastes 12

New International Version

12 Remember^(A) your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble^(B) come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”—
²before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
³when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
⁴when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;^(C)
⁵when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home^(D)
    and mourners^(E) go about the streets.

⁶Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
⁷and the dust returns^(F) to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God^(G) who gave it.^(H)

⁸“Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.^[a]^(I)
“Everything is meaningless!^(J)”

The Conclusion of the Matter

⁹Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.^(K) ¹⁰The Teacher^(L) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.^(M)

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails^(N)—given by one shepherd.^[b] ¹²Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.^(O)

¹³Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God^(P) and keep his commandments,^(Q)
    for this is the duty of all mankind.^(R)
¹⁴For God will bring every deed into judgment,^(S)
    including every hidden thing,^(T)
    whether it is good or evil.

Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly; also in verses 9 and 10
Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or Shepherd

Luke 7:24-50

New International Version

²⁴After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(A) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’^[a]^(B)

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(C) is greater than he.”

²⁹(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^(D) ³⁰But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(E) rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.’

³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(F) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^(G) ³⁵But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman^(H)^(I)

³⁶When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. ³⁷A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. ³⁸As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

³⁹When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet,^(J) he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

⁴⁰Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

“Tell me, teacher,” he said.

⁴¹“Two people owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii,^[b] and the other fifty. ⁴²Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

⁴³Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt forgiven.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

⁴⁴Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet,^(K) but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ⁴⁵You did not give me a kiss,^(L) but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶You did not put oil on my head,^(M) but she has poured perfume on my feet. ⁴⁷Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”