Pleasures Are Meaningless

2 I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure^(A) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. ² “Laughter,”^(B) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” ³ I tried cheering myself with wine,^(C) and embracing folly^(D)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

⁴ I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself^(E) and planted vineyards.^{(F) 5} I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. ⁶ I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. ⁷ I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves^(G) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. ⁸ I amassed silver and gold^(H) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.^(I) I acquired male and female singers,^(J) and a harem^[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. ⁹ I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem^(K) before me.^(L) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

¹⁵ Then I said to myself,

Toil Is Meaningless

¹⁷ So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.^{(X) 18} I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.^{(Y) 19} And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?^(Z) Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. ²⁰ So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. ²¹ For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. ²² What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?^{(AA) 23} All their days their work is grief and pain;^(AB) even at night their minds do not rest.^(AC) This too is meaningless.

²⁴ A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink^(AD) and find satisfaction in their own toil.^(AE) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,^{(AF) 25} for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?^{(AG) 26} To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,^(AH) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth^(AI) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.^(AJ) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus

¹⁷ On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.^{(A) 18} Now Bethany^(B) was less than two miles^[a] from Jerusalem, ¹⁹ and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.^{(C) 20} When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.^(D)

²¹ “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.^{(E) 22} But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”^(F)

²³ Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

²⁴ Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection^(G) at the last day.”^(H)

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am^(I) the resurrection and the life.^(J) The one who believes^(K) in me will live, even though they die; ²⁶ and whoever lives by believing^(L) in me will never die.^(M) Do you believe this?”

²⁷ “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah,^(N) the Son of God,^(O) who is to come into the world.”^(P)

Made Alive in Christ

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,^{(A) 2} in which you used to live^(B) when you followed the ways of this world^(C) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,^(D) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.^{(E) 3} All of us also lived among them at one time,^(F) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](G) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(H) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(I)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(J) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(K) and seated us with him^(L) in the heavenly realms^(M) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(N) expressed in his kindness^(O) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(P) you have been saved,^(Q) through faith^(R)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works,^(S) so that no one can boast.^{(T) 10} For we are God’s handiwork,^(U) created^(V) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(W) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

¹¹ Therefore, remember that formerly^(X) you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)^(Y)— ¹² remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners^(Z) to the covenants of the promise,^(AA) without hope^(AB) and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once^(AC) were far away have been brought near^(AD) by the blood of Christ.^(AE)

¹⁴ For he himself is our peace,^(AF) who has made the two groups one^(AG) and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, ¹⁵ by setting aside in his flesh^(AH) the law with its commands and regulations.^(AI) His purpose was to create in himself one^(AJ) new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross,^(AK) by which he put to death their hostility. ¹⁷ He came and preached peace^(AL) to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.^{(AM) 18} For through him we both have access^(AN) to the Father^(AO) by one Spirit.^(AP)

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers,^(AQ) but fellow citizens^(AR) with God’s people and also members of his household,^{(AS) 20} built^(AT) on the foundation^(AU) of the apostles and prophets,^(AV) with Christ Jesus himself^(AW) as the chief cornerstone.^{(AX) 21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple^(AY) in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.^(AZ)

¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities,^(A) he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them^(B) by the cross.^[a]

Freedom From Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you^(C) by what you eat or drink,^(D) or with regard to a religious festival,^(E) a New Moon celebration^(F) or a Sabbath day.^{(G) 17} These are a shadow of the things that were to come;^(H) the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility^(I) and the worship of angels disqualify you.^(J) Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head,^(K) from whom the whole body,^(L) supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.^(M)

²⁰ Since you died with Christ^(N) to the elemental spiritual forces of this world,^(O) why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules:^(P)