Death Comes to All

9 But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, ^(A)how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are ^(B)in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. ^2 (C)It is the same for all, since ^(D)the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil,^[a] to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who ^(E)swears is as he who shuns an oath. ³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that ^(F)the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and ^(G)madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. ⁴ But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know that they will die, but ^(H)the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for ^(I)the memory of them is forgotten. ⁶ Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.

Enjoy Life with the One You Love

⁷ Go, ^(J)eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.

^8 (K)Let your garments be always white. Let not ^(L)oil be lacking on your head.

⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your ^(M)vain^[b] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your ^(N)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(O)do it with your might,^{[c] (P)}for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

^11 (Q)Again I saw that under the sun ^(R)the race is not to the swift, nor ^(S)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and ^(T)chance ^(U)happen to them all. ¹² For man ^(V)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and ^(W)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are ^(X)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

¹³ I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. ¹⁴ There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. ¹⁵ But there was found in it ^(Y)a poor, wise man, and he by his ^(Z)wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ But I say that ^(AA)wisdom is better than might, though ^(AB)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

¹⁷ The words of the wise heard in ^(AC)quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. ^18 (AD)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but ^(AE)one sinner destroys much good.

⁵ There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were ^(AK)an error proceeding from the ruler: ^6 (AL)folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. ^7 (AM)I have seen slaves ^(AN)on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.

Israel's Unbelief

³⁰ What shall we say, then? ^(A)That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, ^(B)a righteousness that is by faith; ³¹ but that Israel ^(C)who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness^{[a] (D)}did not succeed in reaching that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the ^(E)stumbling stone, ³³ as it is written,

10 Brothers,^[b] my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ² For I bear them witness that ^(J)they have a zeal for God, ^(K)but not according to knowledge. ³ For, being ignorant of ^(L)the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. ⁴ For ^(M)Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.^[c]

The Message of Salvation to All

⁵ For ^(N)Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that ^(O)the person who does the commandments shall live by them. ⁶ But ^(P)the righteousness based on faith says, ^(Q)“Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷ “or ‘Who will descend into the ^(R)abyss?’” (that is, ^(S)to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸ But what does it say? ^(T)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if ^(U)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ^(V)believe in your heart ^(W)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. ¹¹ For the Scripture says, ^(X)“Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ^12 (Y)For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; ^(Z)for the same Lord is Lord of all, ^(AA)bestowing his riches on all who call on him. ¹³ For ^(AB)“everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him ^(AC)of whom they have never heard?^[d] And how are they to hear ^(AD)without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ^(AE)“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” ¹⁶ But ^(AF)they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ^(AG)“Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” ¹⁷ So ^(AH)faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

¹⁸ But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for

¹⁹ But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

²⁰ Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

²¹ But of Israel he says, ^(AO)“All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”