Old/New Testament

The Tears of the Oppressed

4 Then I looked again at all the acts of ^(A)oppression which were being done under the sun. And behold, I saw the tears of the oppressed and that they had ^(B)no one to comfort them; and on the side of their oppressors was power, but they had no one to comfort them. ² So ^(C)I lauded the dead who are already dead more than the living who are still living. ³ But ^(D)better off than both of them is the one who never has been, who has never seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

⁴ I have seen that every labor and every ^(E)success of the work is the result of jealousy between a man and his neighbor. This too is ^[a](F)vanity and striving after wind. ⁵ The fool ^(G)folds his hands in embrace and ^(H)consumes his own flesh. ⁶ One hand full of rest is ^(I)better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

⁷ Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. ⁸ There was a certain man without a second man, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^(J)his eyes were not satisfied with riches—“And ^(K)for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of good?” This too is vanity, and it is a ^(L)grievous endeavor.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have good wages for their labor. ¹⁰ For if ^[b]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not a second one to lift him up. ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[c]keep warm, but ^(M)how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[d]one can overpower him who is alone, two can stand against him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

¹³ A ^(N)poor yet wise lad is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ^[e]warning. ¹⁴ For he has come ^(O)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵ I have seen all the living who walk about under the sun go along with the second lad who stands in place of him. ¹⁶ There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them, and even the ones who will come later will not be glad with him, for this too is ^(P)vanity and striving after wind.

Fear God

5 ^[f](Q)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the ^(R)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. ^2 [g]Do not be ^(S)hasty with your mouth or ^[h]impulsive in your heart to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven but you are on the earth; therefore let your ^(T)words be few. ³ For the dream comes through abundant endeavor and the voice of a ^(U)fool through abundant words.

⁴ When you ^(V)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ^(W)Pay what you vow! ⁵ It is ^(X)better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶ Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ^(Y)mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and wreak destruction on the work of your hands? ⁷ For in many dreams and vanities are many words. Rather, ^[i](Z)fear God.

The Vanity of Riches

⁸ If you see ^(AA)oppression of the poor and ^(AB)robbery of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^(AC)astonished over the ^[j]matter; for a lofty one keeps watch over another lofty one, and there are loftier ones over them. ⁹ But the advantage of the land in everything is this—a king committed to a cultivated field.

^10 (AD)He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its produce. This too is ^[k]vanity. ^11 (AE)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the success to their masters except to look on with their eyes? ¹² The sleep of the laboring man is ^(AF)sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the satisfaction of the rich man does not ^[l]allow him to sleep.

¹³ There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ^(AG)riches being ^[m]hoarded by their master to his own evil demise. ¹⁴ And those riches were lost through a bad endeavor; and he became the father of a son, but there was nothing in his hand for him. ^15 (AH)As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will ^(AI)carry nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can bring in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a sickening evil—exactly as a man came, so will he go. So ^(AJ)what is the advantage to him who ^(AK)labors for the wind? ¹⁷ Also, all his days ^(AL)he eats in darkness with ^(AM)much vexation, and his sickness and anger.

¹⁸ Here is what I have seen to be ^(AN)good, which is ^[n]beautiful: to eat, to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^(AO)portion. ¹⁹ Furthermore, as for every man to whom ^(AP)God has given riches and wealth, He has also ^(AQ)empowered him to eat from them and to take up his portion and be glad in his labor; this is the ^(AR)gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not remember much the days of his life because ^(AS)God allows ^[o]him to occupy himself with the gladness of his heart.

The Vanity of Life

6 There is an ^(AT)evil which I have seen under the sun and it is prevalent ^[p]among men— ² a man to whom God ^(AU)gives riches and wealth and honor so that his soul ^(AV)lacks nothing of all that he desires; yet God does not empower him to eat from them, for a foreigner eats from them. This is ^[q]vanity and a sickening evil. ³ If a man becomes the father of one hundred children and lives many years, however many the days of his years may be, but his soul is not satisfied with good things, and he does not even have a proper ^(AW)burial, then I say, “Better ^(AX)the miscarriage than he, ⁴ for that one comes in vanity and goes into darkness; and that one’s name is covered in darkness. ⁵ Indeed, that one never sees the sun and never knows anything; ^[r]that one has more rest than he. ⁶ Even if the other man lives one thousand years twice and does not see good things—^(AY)do not all go to the same place?”

^7 (AZ)All a man’s labor is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not fulfilled. ⁸ For ^(BA)what advantage does the wise man have over the fool? What advantage does the afflicted man have, knowing how to walk before the living? ⁹ What the eyes ^(BB)see is better than what the soul goes after. This too is ^(BC)vanity and striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever ^(BD)exists has already been named, and it is known what man is; and he ^(BE)cannot dispute with him who is stronger than he is. ¹¹ For there are many words which increase vanity. What then is the advantage to a man? ¹² For who knows what is good for a man during his lifetime, during the few days of his vain life? He will make do with them like a ^(BF)shadow. For who can tell a man ^(BG)what will be after him under the sun?

A Vision of Paradise

12 ^(A)It is necessary to boast, though it is not profitable, but I will go on to visions and ^(B)revelations ^[a]of the Lord. ² I know a man ^(C)in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^(D)God knows—such a man was ^(E)caught up to the ^(F)third heaven. ³ And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^(G)God knows— ⁴ was ^(H)caught up into ^(I)Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. ^5 (J)On behalf of such a man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in ^(K)weaknesses. ⁶ For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^(L)foolish, ^(M)for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will consider me beyond what he sees in me or hears from me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ Because of the surpassing greatness of the ^(N)revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a ^(O)thorn in the flesh, a ^(P)messenger of Satan to ^[b]torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ⁸ Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord ^(Q)three times that it might leave me. ⁹ And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^(R)power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^(S)boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(T)I am well content with weaknesses, with ^[c]insults, with ^(U)distresses, with ^(V)persecutions and ^(W)hardships, ^(X)for the sake of Christ, for ^(Y)when I am weak, then I am strong.

Concern for the Corinthian Church

¹¹ I have become ^(Z)foolish; you yourselves compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you, for ^(AA)in no respect was I inferior to the ^[d]most-eminent apostles, even if ^(AB)I am nothing. ¹² The ^[e](AC)signs ^[f]of a true apostle were worked out among you with all perseverance, by ^[g]signs and wonders and ^[h]miracles. ¹³ For in what respect were you treated as less than the rest of the churches, except that ^(AD)I myself did not become a burden to you? ^[i]Forgive me ^(AE)this wrong!

¹⁴ Here ^(AF)for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^(AG)will not be a burden to you; for I ^(AH)do not seek what is yours, but ^(AI)you. For ^(AJ)children ought not to save up for their parents, but ^(AK)parents for their children. ¹⁵ So I will ^(AL)most gladly spend and be fully spent for your souls. If ^(AM)I love you more, am I to be loved less? ¹⁶ But be that as it may, I ^(AN)did not burden you myself. Nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^(AO)took you in by deceit. ^17 (AP)Have I taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you? ¹⁸ I ^(AQ)encouraged ^(AR)Titus to go, and I sent ^(AS)the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? Did we not walk ^[j]in the same ^(AT)spirit—^(AU)in the very same steps?

¹⁹ All this time ^[k]you think we are defending ourselves to you. We speak in Christ ^(AV)in the sight of God. ^(AW)And all these things, ^(AX)beloved, are for your building up. ²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(AY)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(AZ)strife, jealousy, ^(BA)outbursts of anger, ^(BB)selfish ambition, ^(BC)slanders, ^(BD)gossip, ^(BE)arrogance, ^(BF)disturbances. ²¹ I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^(BG)sinned in the past and not repented of the ^(BH)impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality which they have practiced.