Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.(A) “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a](B)

Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children;(C) instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.(D)

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect(E) and fear, and with sincerity of heart,(F) just as you would obey Christ.(G) Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,(H) doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people,(I) because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do,(J) whether they are slave or free.

And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours(K) is in heaven, and there is no favoritism(L) with him.

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord(M) and in his mighty power.(N) 11 Put on the full armor of God,(O) so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,(P) but against the rulers, against the authorities,(Q) against the powers(R) of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.(S) 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God,(T) so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,(U) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,(V) 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.(W) 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,(X) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.(Y) 17 Take the helmet of salvation(Z) and the sword of the Spirit,(AA) which is the word of God.(AB)

18 And pray in the Spirit(AC) on all occasions(AD) with all kinds of prayers and requests.(AE) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying(AF) for all the Lord’s people. 19 Pray also for me,(AG) that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly(AH) make known the mystery(AI) of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador(AJ) in chains.(AK) Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

21 Tychicus,(AL) the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are,(AM) and that he may encourage you.(AN)

23 Peace(AO) to the brothers and sisters,[c] and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.[d]

Notas al pie

  1. Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16
  2. Ephesians 6:4 Or Parents
  3. Ephesians 6:23 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
  4. Ephesians 6:24 Or Grace and immortality to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, my soul.(A)

Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.(B)

The Lord wraps(C) himself in light(D) as with a garment;
    he stretches(E) out the heavens(F) like a tent(G)
    and lays the beams(H) of his upper chambers on their waters.(I)
He makes the clouds(J) his chariot(K)
    and rides on the wings of the wind.(L)
He makes winds his messengers,[a](M)
    flames of fire(N) his servants.

He set the earth(O) on its foundations;(P)
    it can never be moved.
You covered it(Q) with the watery depths(R) as with a garment;
    the waters stood(S) above the mountains.
But at your rebuke(T) the waters fled,
    at the sound of your thunder(U) they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
    they went down into the valleys,
    to the place you assigned(V) for them.
You set a boundary(W) they cannot cross;
    never again will they cover the earth.

10 He makes springs(X) pour water into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water(Y) to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys(Z) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(AA) nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.(AB)
13 He waters the mountains(AC) from his upper chambers;(AD)
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(AE)
14 He makes grass grow(AF) for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—
    bringing forth food(AG) from the earth:
15 wine(AH) that gladdens human hearts,
    oil(AI) to make their faces shine,
    and bread that sustains(AJ) their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord(AK) are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon(AL) that he planted.
17 There the birds(AM) make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;(AN)
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.(AO)

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,(AP)
    and the sun(AQ) knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,(AR) it becomes night,(AS)
    and all the beasts of the forest(AT) prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey(AU)
    and seek their food from God.(AV)
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
    they return and lie down in their dens.(AW)
23 Then people go out to their work,(AX)
    to their labor until evening.(AY)

24 How many are your works,(AZ) Lord!
    In wisdom you made(BA) them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.(BB)
25 There is the sea,(BC) vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.(BD)
26 There the ships(BE) go to and fro,
    and Leviathan,(BF) which you formed to frolic(BG) there.(BH)

27 All creatures look to you
    to give them their food(BI) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied(BJ) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(BK)
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.(BL)
30 When you send your Spirit,(BM)
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord(BN) endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works(BO)
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(BP)
    who touches the mountains,(BQ) and they smoke.(BR)

33 I will sing(BS) to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice(BT) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(BU) from the earth
    and the wicked be no more.(BV)

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Praise the Lord.[b](BW)

Notas al pie

  1. Psalm 104:4 Or angels
  2. Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.

Pleasures Are Meaningless

I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure(A) to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,”(B) I said, “is madness. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine,(C) and embracing folly(D)—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.

I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself(E) and planted vineyards.(F) I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves(G) who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver and gold(H) for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces.(I) I acquired male and female singers,(J) and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem(K) before me.(L) In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
    I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
    and this was the reward for all my toil.
11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
    and what I had toiled to achieve,
everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;(M)
    nothing was gained under the sun.(N)

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,
    and also madness and folly.(O)
What more can the king’s successor do
    than what has already been done?(P)
13 I saw that wisdom(Q) is better than folly,(R)
    just as light is better than darkness.
14 The wise have eyes in their heads,
    while the fool walks in the darkness;
but I came to realize
    that the same fate overtakes them both.(S)

15 Then I said to myself,

“The fate of the fool will overtake me also.
    What then do I gain by being wise?”(T)
I said to myself,
    “This too is meaningless.”
16 For the wise, like the fool, will not be long remembered;(U)
    the days have already come when both have been forgotten.(V)
Like the fool, the wise too must die!(W)

Toil Is Meaningless

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(X) 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me.(Y) 19 And who knows whether that person will be wise or foolish?(Z) Yet they will have control over all the fruit of my toil into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a person may labor with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then they must leave all they own to another who has not toiled for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What do people get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun?(AA) 23 All their days their work is grief and pain;(AB) even at night their minds do not rest.(AC) This too is meaningless.

24 A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink(AD) and find satisfaction in their own toil.(AE) This too, I see, is from the hand of God,(AF) 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?(AG) 26 To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom,(AH) knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth(AI) to hand it over to the one who pleases God.(AJ) This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

A Time for Everything

There is a time(AK) for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,(AL)
    a time to kill(AM) and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
    a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
    a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
    a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent(AN) and a time to speak,
    a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil?(AO) 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.(AP) 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time.(AQ) He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[b] no one can fathom(AR) what God has done from beginning to end.(AS) 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink,(AT) and find satisfaction(AU) in all their toil—this is the gift of God.(AV) 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.(AW)

15 Whatever is has already been,(AX)
    and what will be has been before;(AY)
    and God will call the past to account.[c]

16 And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,
    in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment(AZ)
    both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
    a time to judge every deed.”(BA)

18 I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.(BB) 19 Surely the fate of human beings(BC) is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath[d]; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.(BD) 21 Who knows if the human spirit rises upward(BE) and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work,(BF) because that is their lot.(BG) For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

Again I looked and saw all the oppression(BH) that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—
    and they have no comforter;
power was on the side of their oppressors—
    and they have no comforter.(BI)
And I declared that the dead,(BJ)
    who had already died,
are happier than the living,
    who are still alive.(BK)
But better than both
    is the one who has never been born,(BL)
who has not seen the evil
    that is done under the sun.(BM)

And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.(BN)

Fools fold their hands(BO)
    and ruin themselves.
Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil(BP)
    and chasing after the wind.

Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

There was a man all alone;
    he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
    yet his eyes were not content(BQ) with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
    “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
    a miserable business!

Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Notas al pie

  1. Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or also placed ignorance in the human heart, so that
  3. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
  4. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit

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