Ecclesiastes 9

English Standard Version

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. ³This 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. ⁴But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵For 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. ⁶Their 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

⁷Go, ^(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.

⁹Enjoy 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. ¹⁰Whatever 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. ¹²For 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.

¹³I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. ¹⁴There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. ¹⁵But 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. ¹⁶But I say that ^(AA)wisdom is better than might, though ^(AB)the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.

¹⁷The 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.

Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew lacks and the evil
Ecclesiastes 9:9 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it

2 John

English Standard Version

Greeting

¹^(A)The elder to the elect lady and her children, ^(B)whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who ^(C)know ^(D)the truth, ²^(E)because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

³^(F)Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

Walking in Truth and Love

⁴^(G)I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. ⁵And now I ask you, dear lady—^(H)not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—^(I)that we love one another. ⁶And ^(J)this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just ^(K)as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. ⁷For ^(L)many deceivers ^(M)have gone out into the world, ^(N)those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸Watch yourselves, ^(O)so that you may not lose what we^[a] have worked for, but ^(P)may win a full reward. ⁹Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, ^(Q)does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching ^(R)has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ^(S)do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, ¹¹for whoever greets him ^(T)takes part in his wicked works.

Final Greetings

¹²^(U)Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. ^(V)Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, ^(W)so that our joy may be complete.

¹³The children of your elect sister greet you.

Footnotes

2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you

Ecclesiastes 10

English Standard Version

10 Dead flies make ^(A)the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;
    so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
²^(B)A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,
    but a fool's heart to the left.
³Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,
    and he ^(C)says to everyone that he is a fool.
⁴If the anger of the ruler rises against you, ^(D)do not leave your place,
    ^(E)for calmness^[a] will lay great offenses to rest.

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

⁸He who ^(J)digs a pit will fall into it,
    and ^(K)a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.
⁹^(L)He who quarries stones is hurt by them,
    and he who ^(M)splits logs is endangered by them.
¹⁰If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge,
    he must use more strength,
    but wisdom helps one to succeed.^[b]
¹¹If the serpent bites before it is ^(N)charmed,
    there is no advantage to the charmer.

¹²The words of a wise man's mouth ^(O)win him favor,^[c]
    but ^(P)the lips of a fool consume him.
¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
    and the end of his talk is evil madness.
¹⁴^(Q)A fool multiplies words,
    though no man knows what is to be,
    and who can tell him ^(R)what will be after him?
¹⁵The toil of a fool wearies him,
    for he does not know ^(S)the way to the city.

¹⁶^(T)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
    and your princes feast in the morning!
¹⁷Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,
    and your princes feast at the proper time,
    for strength, and not for ^(U)drunkenness!
¹⁸Through sloth the roof sinks in,
    and through indolence the house leaks.
¹⁹Bread is made for laughter,
    and ^(V)wine gladdens life,
    and ^(W)money answers everything.
²⁰Even in your thoughts, ^(X)do not curse the king,
    nor in your ^(Y)bedroom curse the rich,
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
    or some winged creature tell the matter.

Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 10:4 Hebrew healing
Ecclesiastes 10:10 Or wisdom is an advantage for success
Ecclesiastes 10:12 Or are gracious

3 John

English Standard Version

Greeting

¹^(A)The elder to the beloved Gaius, ^(B)whom I love in truth.

²Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. ³For ^(C)I rejoiced greatly when the brothers^[a] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that ^(D)my children are walking in the truth.

Support and Opposition

⁵Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for ^(E)these brothers, ^(F)strangers as they are, ⁶who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner ^(G)worthy of God. ⁷For they have gone out for the sake of ^(H)the name, ^(I)accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

⁹I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. ¹⁰So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.

¹¹Beloved, ^(J)do not imitate evil but imitate good. ^(K)Whoever does good is from God; ^(L)whoever does evil has not seen God. ¹²Demetrius ^(M)has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and ^(N)you know that our testimony is true.

Final Greetings

¹³^(O)I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. ¹⁴I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

¹⁵Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, ^(P)each by name.

Footnotes

3 John 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10