Why Should I Fear in Times of Trouble?

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

6 ^(A)There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: ² a man ^(B)to whom ^(C)God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he ^(D)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God ^(E)does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;^[a] it is a grievous evil. ³ If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that ^(F)the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's ^(G)good things, and he also has no ^(H)burial, I say that ^(I)a stillborn child is better off than he. ⁴ For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. ⁵ Moreover, it has not ^(J)seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds ^(K)rest rather than he. ⁶ Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy^[b] no good—do not all go to the one place?

^7 (L)All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.^{[c] 8} For what advantage has the wise man ^(M)over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? ⁹ Better ^(N)is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is ^(O)vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has ^(P)already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to ^(Q)dispute with one stronger than he. ¹¹ The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? ¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his ^(R)vain^[d] life, which he passes like ^(S)a shadow? For who can tell man what will be ^(T)after him under the sun?

Greeting

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

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

Support and Opposition

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

⁹ I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. ¹⁰ So 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.

¹¹ Beloved, ^(J)do not imitate evil but imitate good. ^(K)Whoever does good is from God; ^(L)whoever does evil has not seen God. ¹² Demetrius ^(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. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

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