Cast Your Bread on the Waters

11 ^(A)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you ^(B)will find it ^[a]after many days. ^2 (C)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what ^(D)misfortune may occur on the earth. ³ If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it ^[b]lies. ⁴ He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. ⁵ Just as you do not ^(E)know ^[c]the path of the wind and ^(F)how bones are formed in the womb of the ^[d]pregnant woman, so you do not ^(G)know the activity of God who makes all things.

⁶ Sow your seed ^(H)in the morning and do not ^[e]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether ^[f]morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

⁷ The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to ^(I)see the sun. ⁸ Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him ^(J)rejoice in them all, and let him remember the ^(K)days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.

⁹ Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the ^[g]impulses of your heart and the ^[h](L)desires of your eyes. Yet know that ^(M)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. ¹⁰ So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away ^[i](N)pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Prayer for Help in Trouble.

For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

¹⁵ John *^(A)testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘^(B)He who comes after me ^[a]has a higher rank than I, ^(C)for He existed before me.’” ¹⁶ For of His ^(D)fullness ^[b]we have all received, and ^[c]grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For ^(E)the Law was given through Moses; ^(F)grace and ^(G)truth ^[d]were realized through Jesus Christ. ^18 (H)No one has seen God at any time; ^(I)the only begotten God who is ^(J)in the bosom of the Father, ^(K)He has explained Him.

The Testimony of John

¹⁹ This is ^(L)the testimony of John, when ^(M)the Jews sent to him priests and Levites ^(N)from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “^(O)I am not ^[e]the Christ.” ²¹ They asked him, “What then? Are you ^(P)Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you ^(Q)the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said, “I am ^(R)a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴ Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the ^[f]Christ, nor Elijah, nor ^(S)the Prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them saying, “^(T)I baptize ^[g]in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is ^(U)He who comes after me, the ^(V)thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany ^(W)beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹ The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, ^(X)the Lamb of God who ^(Y)takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘^(Z)After me comes a Man who ^[h]has a higher rank than I, ^(AA)for He existed before me.’ ³¹ I did not recognize ^[i]Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing ^[j]in water.” ³² John ^(AB)testified saying, “^(AC)I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not recognize ^[k]Him, but He who sent me to baptize ^[l]in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, ^(AD)this is the One who baptizes ^[m]in the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is ^(AE)the Son of God.”

Jesus’ Public Ministry, First Converts

³⁵ Again ^(AF)the next day John was standing ^[n]with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and *said, “Behold, ^(AG)the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “^(AH)Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” ³⁹ He *said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the ^[o]tenth hour. ^40 (AI)One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He *found first his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the ^(AJ)Messiah” (which translated means ^[p]Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^[q](AK)John; you shall be called ^(AL)Cephas” (which is translated ^[r](AM)Peter).

^43 (AN)The next day He purposed to go into ^(AO)Galilee, and He *found ^(AP)Philip. And Jesus *said to him, “^(AQ)Follow Me.” ⁴⁴ Now ^(AR)Philip was from ^(AS)Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. ^45 (AT)Philip *found ^(AU)Nathanael and *said to him, “We have found Him of whom ^(AV)Moses in the Law and also ^(AW)the Prophets wrote—Jesus of ^(AX)Nazareth, ^(AY)the son of Joseph.” ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, “^(AZ)Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” ^(BA)Philip *said to him, “Come and see.” ⁴⁷ Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and *said of him, “Behold, an ^(BB)Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸ Nathanael *said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before ^(BC)Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹ Nathanael answered Him, “^(BD)Rabbi, You are ^(BE)the Son of God; You are the ^(BF)King of Israel.” ⁵⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁵¹ And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see ^(BG)the heavens opened and ^(BH)the angels of God ascending and descending on ^(BI)the Son of Man.”