Men Are in the Hand of God

9 For I have taken all this to my heart and explain ^[a]it that righteous men, wise men, and their deeds are ^(A)in the hand of God. ^(B)Man does not know whether it will be ^(C)love or hatred; anything ^[b]awaits him.

^2 (D)It is the same for all. There is ^(E)one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who ^[c]is afraid to swear. ³ This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is ^(F)one fate for all men. Furthermore, ^(G)the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and ^(H)insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead. ⁴ For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. ⁵ For the living know they will die; but the dead ^(I)do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their ^(J)memory is forgotten. ⁶ Indeed their love, their hate and their zeal have already perished, and they will no longer have a ^(K)share in all that is done under the sun.

⁷ Go then, ^(L)eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works. ⁸ Let your ^(M)clothes be white all the time, and let not ^(N)oil be lacking on your head. ⁹ Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your ^[d](O)fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun^[e]; for this is your ^(P)reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.

Whatever Your Hand Finds to Do

¹⁰ Whatever your hand finds to do, ^(Q)do it with all your might; for there is no ^(R)activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in ^(S)Sheol where you are going.

¹¹ I again saw under the sun that the ^(T)race is not to the swift and the ^(U)battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor ^(V)wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and ^(W)chance overtake them all. ¹² Moreover, man does not ^(X)know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and ^(Y)birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ^(Z)ensnared at an evil time when it ^(AA)suddenly falls on them.

¹³ Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and ^[f]it impressed me. ¹⁴ There ^(AB)was a small city with few men in it and a great king came to it, surrounded it and constructed large siegeworks against it. ¹⁵ But there was found in it a ^(AC)poor wise man and he ^[g]delivered the city ^(AD)by his wisdom. Yet ^(AE)no one remembered that poor man. ¹⁶ So I said, “^(AF)Wisdom is better than strength.” But the wisdom of the poor man is despised and his words are not heeded. ¹⁷ The ^(AG)words of the wise heard in quietness are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. ^18 (AH)Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but ^(AI)one sinner destroys much good.

A Little Foolishness

10 Dead flies make a ^(AJ)perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. ² A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish ^(AK)man’s heart directs him toward the left. ³ Even when the fool walks along the road, his ^[h]sense is lacking and he ^[i](AL)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. ⁴ If the ruler’s ^[j]temper rises against you, ^(AM)do not abandon your position, because ^(AN)composure allays great offenses.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— ^6 (AO)folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. ⁷ I have seen ^(AP)slaves riding ^(AQ)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

^8 (AR)He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a ^(AS)serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. ⁹ He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. ¹⁰ If the ^[k]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must ^[l]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. ¹¹ If the serpent bites ^[m](AT)before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. ^12 (AU)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a ^(AV)fool consume him; ¹³ the beginning of ^[n]his talking is folly and the end of ^[o]it is wicked ^(AW)madness. ¹⁴ Yet the ^(AX)fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him ^(AY)what will come after him? ¹⁵ The toil of ^[p]a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. ¹⁶ Woe to you, O land, whose ^(AZ)king is a lad and whose princes ^[q]feast in the morning. ¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for ^(BA)drunkenness. ¹⁸ Through ^(BB)indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. ¹⁹ Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and ^(BC)wine makes life merry, and ^(BD)money ^[r]is the answer to everything. ²⁰ Furthermore, ^(BE)in your bedchamber do not ^(BF)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.

Cast Your Bread on the Waters

11 ^(BG)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you ^(BH)will find it ^[s]after many days. ^2 (BI)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what ^(BJ)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 ^[t]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 ^(BK)know ^[u]the path of the wind and ^(BL)how bones are formed in the womb of the ^[v]pregnant woman, so you do not ^(BM)know the activity of God who makes all things.

⁶ Sow your seed ^(BN)in the morning and do not ^[w]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether ^[x]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 ^(BO)see the sun. ⁸ Indeed, if a man should live many years, let him ^(BP)rejoice in them all, and let him remember the ^(BQ)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 ^[y]impulses of your heart and the ^[z](BR)desires of your eyes. Yet know that ^(BS)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. ¹⁰ So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away ^[aa](BT)pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.

Remember God in Your Youth

12 ^(BU)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the ^(BV)evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them”; ² before the ^(BW)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; ³ in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men ^(BX)stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and ^(BY)those who look through ^[ab]windows grow dim; ⁴ and the doors on the street are shut as the ^(BZ)sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the ^(CA)daughters of song will ^[ac]sing softly. ⁵ Furthermore, ^[ad]men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal ^(CB)home while ^(CC)mourners go about in the street. ⁶ Remember Him before the silver cord is ^[ae]broken and the ^(CD)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; ⁷ then the ^(CE)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the ^[af](CF)spirit will return to ^(CG)God who gave it. ⁸ “^(CH)Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “all is vanity!”

Purpose of the Preacher

⁹ In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out and arranged ^(CI)many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find ^(CJ)delightful words and to write ^(CK)words of truth correctly.

¹¹ The ^(CL)words of wise men are like ^(CM)goads, and masters of these collections are like ^[ag]well-driven ^(CN)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. ¹² But beyond this, my son, be warned: the ^[ah]writing of ^(CO)many books is endless, and excessive ^(CP)devotion to books is wearying to the body.

¹³ The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: ^(CQ)fear God and ^(CR)keep His commandments, because this applies to ^(CS)every person. ¹⁴ For ^(CT)God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

God’s Love for Jacob

1 The ^[a](A)oracle of the word of the Lord to ^(B)Israel through ^[b]Malachi.

² “I have ^(C)loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I ^(D)have loved Jacob; ³ but I have hated Esau, and I have ^(E)made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” ⁴ Though Edom says, “We have been ^(F)beaten down, but we will ^[c](G)return and build up the ruins”; thus says the Lord of hosts, “They may ^(H)build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the ^[d]wicked territory, and the people ^[e]toward whom the Lord is indignant ^(I)forever.” ⁵ Your eyes will see this and you will say, “^(J)The Lord ^[f]be magnified beyond the ^[g]border of Israel!”

Sin of the Priests

⁶ “‘A son ^(K)honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a ^(L)father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My ^[h]respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O ^(M)priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ ⁷ You are presenting ^(N)defiled ^[i](O)food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The ^(P)table of the Lord is to be despised.’ ⁸ But when you present the ^(Q)blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? ^[j]Why not offer it to your ^(R)governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. ⁹ “But now ^[k]will you not ^(S)entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? ^[l]With such an offering on your part, will He ^(T)receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. ¹⁰ “Oh that there were one among you who would ^(U)shut the ^[m]gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “^(V)nor will I accept an offering from ^[n]you. ¹¹ For from the ^(W)rising of the sun even to its setting, ^(X)My name will be ^(Y)great among the nations, and in every place ^(Z)incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be ^(AA)great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. ¹² “But you are ^(AB)profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ ¹³ You also say, ‘^[o]My, how ^(AC)tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by ^(AD)robbery and what is ^(AE)lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I ^(AF)receive that from your hand?” says the Lord. ¹⁴ “But cursed be the ^(AG)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a ^(AH)blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great ^(AI)King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is ^[p](AJ)feared among the ^[q]nations.”

Priests to Be Disciplined

2 “And now this commandment is for you, O priests. ² If you do ^(AK)not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the ^(AL)curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have ^(AM)cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. ³ Behold, I am going to ^(AN)rebuke your ^[r]offspring, and I will ^(AO)spread ^[s]refuse on your faces, the ^[t]refuse of your ^(AP)feasts; and you will be taken away ^[u]with it. ⁴ Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, ^[v]that My ^(AQ)covenant may ^[w]continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. ⁵ “My covenant with him was one of life and ^(AR)peace, and I gave them to him as an object of ^[x]reverence; so he ^[y](AS)revered Me and stood in awe of My name. ^6 [z](AT)True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked ^(AU)with Me in peace and uprightness, and he ^(AV)turned many back from iniquity. ⁷ For the lips of a priest should preserve ^(AW)knowledge, and ^[aa]men should ^(AX)seek ^[ab]instruction from his mouth; for he is the ^(AY)messenger of the Lord of hosts. ⁸ But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to ^(AZ)stumble ^[ac]by the instruction; you have ^[ad](BA)corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. ⁹ “So ^(BB)I also have made you despised and ^(BC)abased ^[ae]before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing ^(BD)partiality in the ^[af]instruction.

Sin in the Family

¹⁰ “Do we not all have ^(BE)one father? ^(BF)Has not one God created us? Why do we deal ^(BG)treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the ^(BH)covenant of our fathers? ¹¹ Judah has dealt ^(BI)treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has ^(BJ)profaned the sanctuary of the Lord ^[ag]which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. ¹² As for the man who does this, may the ^(BK)Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who ^(BL)presents ^[ah]an offering to the Lord of hosts.

¹³ “This is ^[ai]another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He ^(BM)no longer regards the ^[aj]offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. ¹⁴ Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the ^(BN)wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt ^(BO)treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. ^15 [ak]But not one has ^(BP)done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And ^[al]what did that one do while he was seeking a ^(BQ)godly ^[am]offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal ^(BR)treacherously against the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ For ^[an]I hate ^[ao](BS)divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and ^[ap]him who covers his garment with ^[aq](BT)wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

¹⁷ You have ^(BU)wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “^(BV)Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He ^(BW)delights in them,” or, “^(BX)Where is the God of ^(BY)justice?”