Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be (A)my treasured possession among all peoples, for (B)all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a (C)kingdom of priests and (D)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

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Now if you obey me fully(A) and keep my covenant,(B) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.(C) Although the whole earth(D) is mine, you[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests(E) and a holy nation.’(F) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 19:6 Or possession, for the whole earth is mine. You

Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your (A)vain[a] life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your (B)portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, (C)do it with your might,[b] (D)for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

11 (E)Again I saw that under the sun (F)the race is not to the swift, nor (G)the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and (H)chance (I)happen to them all. 12 For man (J)does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and (K)like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are (L)snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 9:9 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath” (see note on 1:2)
  2. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Or finds to do with your might, do it

Enjoy life with your wife,(A) 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(B) in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever(C) your hand finds to do, do it with all your might,(D) for in the realm of the dead,(E) where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.(F)

11 I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift
    or the battle to the strong,(G)
nor does food come to the wise(H)
    or wealth to the brilliant
    or favor to the learned;
but time and chance(I) happen to them all.(J)

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(K)
    that fall unexpectedly upon them.(L)

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