Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 ^[a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

⁴ When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.^(E) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.^{(F) 5} It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.^{(G) 6} Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.^(H)

Riches Are Meaningless

⁸ If you see the poor oppressed^(I) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. ⁹ The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

¹³ I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:^(K)

¹⁶ This too is a grievous evil:

¹⁸ This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink^(P) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor^(Q) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. ¹⁹ Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,^(R) and the ability to enjoy them,^(S) to accept their lot^(T) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.^{(U) 20} They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.^(V)

3 See what great love^(A) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!^(B) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.^{(C) 2} Dear friends,^(D) now we are children of God,^(E) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](F) we shall be like him,^(G) for we shall see him as he is.^{(H) 3} All who have this hope in him purify themselves,^(I) just as he is pure.^(J)

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.^{(K) 5} But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.^(L) And in him is no sin.^{(M) 6} No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.^(N) No one who continues to sin has either seen him^(O) or known him.^(P)

⁷ Dear children,^(Q) do not let anyone lead you astray.^(R) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.^{(S) 8} The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,^(T) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God^(U) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.^{(V) 9} No one who is born of God^(W) will continue to sin,^(X) because God’s seed^(Y) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(Z) are and who the children of the devil^(AA) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(AB) their brother and sister.^(AC)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(AD) from the beginning:^(AE) We should love one another.^{(AF) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(AG) and murdered his brother.^(AH) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^{(AI) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[b] if the world hates you.^{(AJ) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(AK) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(AL) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(AM) is a murderer,^(AN) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(AO)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(AP) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(AQ) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(AR) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(AS) 18} Dear children,^(AT) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(AU)

6 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on mankind: ² God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor, so that they lack nothing their hearts desire, but God does not grant them the ability to enjoy them,^(A) and strangers enjoy them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.^(B)

³ A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn^(C) child is better off than he.^{(D) 4} It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. ⁵ Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man— ⁶ even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?^(E)

¹² For who knows what is good for a person in life, during the few and meaningless days^(J) they pass through like a shadow?^(K) Who can tell them what will happen under the sun after they are gone?

Wisdom

¹³ Consider what God has done:^(AB)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends,^(A) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(B) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(C) because we keep his commands^(D) and do what pleases him.^{(E) 23} And this is his command: to believe^(F) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,^(G) and to love one another as he commanded us.^{(H) 24} The one who keeps God’s commands^(I) lives in him,^(J) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.^(K)

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,^(L) do not believe every spirit,^(M) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.^{(N) 2} This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(O) is from God,^{(P) 3} but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(Q) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(R)

⁴ You, dear children,^(S) are from God and have overcome them,^(T) because the one who is in you^(U) is greater than the one who is in the world.^{(V) 5} They are from the world^(W) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(X) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(Y) and the spirit of falsehood.^(Z)