Evil Under the Sun

4 ^(A)Again I ^(B)saw all ^(C)the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had ^(D)no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. ² And I ^(E)thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. ³ But ^(F)better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is ^(G)vanity^[a] and a striving after wind.

⁵ The fool ^(H)folds his hands and ^(I)eats his own flesh.

^6 (J)Better is a handful of ^(K)quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

^7 (L)Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸ one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his ^(M)eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, ^(N)“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy ^(O)business.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, ^(P)but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³ Better was ^(Q)a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how ^(R)to take advice. ¹⁴ For he went ^(S)from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. ¹⁵ I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that^[b] youth who was to stand in the king's^[c] place. ¹⁶ There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is ^(T)vanity and a striving after wind.

Fear God

5 ^{[d] (U)}Guard your steps when you go to ^(V)the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to ^(W)offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ^2 [e] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore ^(X)let your words be few. ³ For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with ^(Y)many words.

⁴ When ^(Z)you vow a vow to God, ^(AA)do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. ^(AB)Pay what you vow. ^5 (AC)It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶ Let not your mouth lead you^[f] into sin, and do not say before ^(AD)the messenger^[g] that it was ^(AE)a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;^[h] but^{[i] (AF)}God is the one you must fear.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

^8 (AG)If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, ^(AH)do not be amazed at the matter, ^(AI)for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. ⁹ But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.^[j]

¹⁰ He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. ¹¹ When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? ¹² Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

^13 (AJ)There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, ¹⁴ and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. ^15 (AK)As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what ^(AL)gain is there to him who ^(AM)toils for the wind? ¹⁷ Moreover, all his days he ^(AN)eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

¹⁸ Behold, what I have seen to be ^(AO)good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment^[k] in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his ^(AP)lot. ¹⁹ Everyone also to whom ^(AQ)God has given ^(AR)wealth and possessions ^(AS)and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is ^(AT)the gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

6 ^(AU)There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: ² a man ^(AV)to whom ^(AW)God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he ^(AX)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God ^(AY)does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;^[l] it is a grievous evil. ³ If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that ^(AZ)the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's ^(BA)good things, and he also has no ^(BB)burial, I say that ^(BC)a stillborn child is better off than he. ⁴ For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. ⁵ Moreover, it has not ^(BD)seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds ^(BE)rest rather than he. ⁶ Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy^[m] no good—do not all go to the one place?

^7 (BF)All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.^{[n] 8} For what advantage has the wise man ^(BG)over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? ⁹ Better ^(BH)is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is ^(BI)vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has ^(BJ)already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to ^(BK)dispute with one stronger than he. ¹¹ The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? ¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his ^(BL)vain^[o] life, which he passes like ^(BM)a shadow? For who can tell man what will be ^(BN)after him under the sun?

9 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not ^(A)taste death ^(B)until they see the kingdom of God after it has come ^(C)with power.”

The Transfiguration

^2 (D)And after six days Jesus took with him ^(E)Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was ^(F)transfigured before them, ³ and ^(G)his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one^[a] on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵ And Peter said to Jesus, ^(H)“Rabbi,^[b] it is good that we are here. Let us make three ^(I)tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶ For ^(J)he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ And ^(K)a cloud overshadowed them, and ^(L)a voice came out of the cloud, ^(M)“This is my beloved Son;^{[c] (N)}listen to him.” ⁸ And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

^9 (O)And as they were coming down the mountain, ^(P)he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, ^(Q)until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ^10 (R)So they kept the matter to themselves, ^(S)questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. ¹¹ And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say ^(T)that first Elijah must come?” ¹² And he said to them, “Elijah does come first ^(U)to restore all things. And ^(V)how is it written of the Son of Man that he should ^(W)suffer many things and ^(X)be treated with contempt? ¹³ But I tell you that Elijah has come, and ^(Y)they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit

^14 (Z)And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. ¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, ^(AA)were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him. ¹⁶ And he asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” ¹⁷ And someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has ^(AB)a spirit that makes him mute. ¹⁸ And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and ^(AC)they were not able.” ¹⁹ And he answered them, “O ^(AD)faithless generation, ^(AE)how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it ^(AF)convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. ²¹ And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But ^(AG)if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” ²³ And Jesus said to him, ^(AH)“‘If you can’! ^(AI)All things are possible for one who believes.” ²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out^[d] and said, “I believe; ^(AJ)help my unbelief!” ²⁵ And when Jesus saw that ^(AK)a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, ^(AL)“You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ And after crying out and ^(AM)convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” ²⁷ But Jesus ^(AN)took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. ²⁸ And when he had ^(AO)entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹ And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”^[e]

Jesus Again Foretells Death, Resurrection

^30 (AP)They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, ³¹ for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, ^(AQ)after three days he will rise.” ^32 (AR)But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Who Is the Greatest?

³³ And ^(AS)they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house ^(AT)he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” ³⁴ But they kept silent, for on the way ^(AU)they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. ³⁵ And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, ^(AV)“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶ And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and ^(AW)taking him in his arms, he said to them, ^37 (AX)“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and ^(AY)whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

^38 (AZ)John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone ^(BA)casting out demons in your name,^[f] and ^(BB)we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” ³⁹ But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. ^40 (BC)For the one who is not against us is for us. ⁴¹ For truly, I say to you, ^(BD)whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because^[g] you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Temptations to Sin

^42 (BE)“Whoever causes one of ^(BF)these little ones who believe in me to sin,^{[h] (BG)}it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. ^43 (BH)And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to ^(BI)hell,^[i] to ^(BJ)the unquenchable fire.^{[j] 45 (BK)}And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into ^(BL)hell. ^47 (BM)And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into ^(BN)hell, ⁴⁸ ‘where ^(BO)their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ ⁴⁹ For everyone will be salted with fire.^{[k] 50 (BP)}Salt is good, ^(BQ)but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? ^(BR)Have salt in yourselves, and ^(BS)be at peace with one another.”