A Common Destiny for All

So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God’s hands, but no one knows whether love or hate awaits them.(A) All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad,[a] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good,
    so with the sinful;
as it is with those who take oaths,
    so with those who are afraid to take them.(B)

This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all.(C) The hearts of people, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live,(D) and afterward they join the dead.(E) Anyone who is among the living has hope[b]—even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

For the living know that they will die,
    but the dead know nothing;(F)
they have no further reward,
    and even their name(G) is forgotten.(H)
Their love, their hate
    and their jealousy have long since vanished;
never again will they have a part
    in anything that happens under the sun.(I)

Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine(J) with a joyful heart,(K) for God has already approved what you do. Always be clothed in white,(L) and always anoint your head with oil. Enjoy life with your wife,(M) whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days. For this is your lot(N) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(O) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(P) for in the realm of the dead,(Q) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(R)

11 I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,(S)
nor does food come to the wise(T)
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(U) happen to them all.(V)

12 Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,
    or birds are taken in a snare,
so people are trapped by evil times(W)
    that fall unexpectedly upon them.(X)

Wisdom Better Than Folly

13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom(Y) that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.(Z) 16 So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.(AA)

17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
    than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom(AB) is better than weapons of war,
    but one sinner destroys much good.

10 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
    so a little folly(AC) outweighs wisdom and honor.
The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
    but the heart of the fool to the left.
Even as fools walk along the road,
    they lack sense
    and show everyone(AD) how stupid they are.
If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
    do not leave your post;(AE)
    calmness can lay great offenses to rest.(AF)

There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
    the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
Fools are put in many high positions,(AG)
    while the rich occupy the low ones.
I have seen slaves on horseback,
    while princes go on foot like slaves.(AH)

Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;(AI)
    whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(AJ)
Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
    whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.(AK)

10 If the ax is dull
    and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
    but skill will bring success.

11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
    the charmer receives no fee.(AL)

12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,(AM)
    but fools are consumed by their own lips.(AN)
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
    at the end they are wicked madness—
14     and fools multiply words.(AO)

No one knows what is coming—
    who can tell someone else what will happen after them?(AP)

15 The toil of fools wearies them;
    they do not know the way to town.

16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant[c](AQ)
    and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
    and whose princes eat at a proper time—
    for strength and not for drunkenness.(AR)

18 Through laziness, the rafters sag;
    because of idle hands, the house leaks.(AS)

19 A feast is made for laughter,
    wine(AT) makes life merry,
    and money is the answer for everything.

20 Do not revile the king(AU) even in your thoughts,
    or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
    and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad.
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope
  3. Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or king is a child

Israel’s Unbelief

30 What then shall we say?(A) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith;(B) 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness,(C) have not attained their goal.(D) 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.(E) 33 As it is written:

“See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall,
    and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[a](F)

10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire(G) and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous(H) for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.(I) Christ is the culmination of the law(J) so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.(K)

Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.”[b](L) But the righteousness that is by faith(M) says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”[c](N) (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’”[d](O) (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).(P) But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”[e](Q) that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare(R) with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,”(S) and believe(T) in your heart that God raised him from the dead,(U) you will be saved.(V) 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”[f](W) 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile(X)—the same Lord is Lord of all(Y) and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord(Z) will be saved.”[g](AA)

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”[h](AB)

16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.(AC) For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”[i](AD) 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message,(AE) and the message is heard through the word about Christ.(AF) 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.”[j](AG)

19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,

“I will make you envious(AH) by those who are not a nation;
    I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”[k](AI)

20 And Isaiah boldly says,

“I was found by those who did not seek me;
    I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”[l](AJ)

21 But concerning Israel he says,

“All day long I have held out my hands
    to a disobedient and obstinate people.”[m](AK)

Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:33 Isaiah 8:14; 28:16
  2. Romans 10:5 Lev. 18:5
  3. Romans 10:6 Deut. 30:12
  4. Romans 10:7 Deut. 30:13
  5. Romans 10:8 Deut. 30:14
  6. Romans 10:11 Isaiah 28:16 (see Septuagint)
  7. Romans 10:13 Joel 2:32
  8. Romans 10:15 Isaiah 52:7
  9. Romans 10:16 Isaiah 53:1
  10. Romans 10:18 Psalm 19:4
  11. Romans 10:19 Deut. 32:21
  12. Romans 10:20 Isaiah 65:1
  13. Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2

Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad(A)
    because of your judgments,(B) Lord.
For you, Lord, are the Most High(C) over all the earth;(D)
    you are exalted(E) far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,(F)
    for he guards(G) the lives of his faithful ones(H)
    and delivers(I) them from the hand of the wicked.(J)
11 Light shines[a](K) on the righteous(L)
    and joy on the upright in heart.(M)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,(N) you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.(O)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 97:11 One Hebrew manuscript and ancient versions (see also 112:4); most Hebrew manuscripts Light is sown

26 A wise king winnows out the wicked;
    he drives the threshing wheel over them.(A)

27 The human spirit is[a] the lamp of the Lord(B)
    that sheds light on one’s inmost being.(C)

28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
    through love(D) his throne is made secure.(E)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:27 Or A person’s words are

Bible Gateway Recommends