¹⁰ The Teacher sought to find pleasing words, and he wrote words of truth plainly.^(A)

⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel^(A)

¹⁵ The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.^(A)

Reflections of a Royal Philosopher

1 The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.^(A)

¹¹ “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you^[a] do not receive our testimony.^(A)

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, ² just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,^{(A) 3} I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start,^[a] to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus,^{(B) 4} so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.

Sayings of the Wise