Old/New Testament
Chapter 10
1 Just as dead flies give perfumes a foul smell,
so a little folly can outweigh wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of a wise man inclines to the right;
the heart of a fool inclines to the left.
3 Even when a fool walks down the road,
he lacks sense
and indicates to everyone how stupid he is.
4 If the anger of a ruler rises against you,
do not leave your post,
for calmness will mitigate grave offenses.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun,
a great error to which rulers are prone:
6 Fools are ensconced in a lofty position,
while the rich sit in a lowly place.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback
while princes walked on foot like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and whoever breaks through a wall
will be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever quarries stones will be hurt by them,
and whoever chops wood places himself at risk.
10 If an ax becomes dull from lack of sharpening,
then one must exert greater strength,
but skill helps one to succeed.
11 If a snake bites because it has not been charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.
12 The words of a wise man win favor,
but a fool’s tongue is his undoing.
13 The words a fool utters are grounded in stupidity,
and they end in total madness.
14 A fool talks at great length,
but no one knows what direction his words will take,
and who can foretell what the future holds?
15 A fool quickly gets worn out by his labor,
and he cannot even find his own way into town.[a]
16 Woe to you, O country, when your king is a servant
and your princes start feasting in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, O land,
when your king is a nobleman
and your princes feast at the proper time
for strength and not for drunkenness.
18 Because of your negligence the roof begins to collapse,
and when hands remain idle, the house leaks.
19 Feasts are designed for merriment,
wine makes us cheerful,
and money solves every need.[b]
20 Even in your thoughts,
do not curse the king,
nor revile the rich even in your bedroom;
for a bird of the air may carry your voice,
or a winged creature may repeat what you have said.
Chapter 11
The Splendid Adventure of Life[c]
1 Cast your bread upon the waters,[d]
and eventually you will get it back.
2 Share with seven or with eight,[e]
for you never can predict what disasters will come.
3 When clouds are full of rain,
they will pour it out upon the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
wherever it falls, there will it lie.
4 One who continues to watch the wind will never sow,
and one who keeps staring at the clouds will never reap.
5 Just as you do not know the path of the wind
or how the body is formed in a woman’s womb,
so you do not know the work of God,
the Creator of all.
6 In the morning sow your seed,[f]
and do not cease your labor until evening.
For you do not know which of the sowings will succeed
or whether all alike will turn out well.
Poem on Youth and Old Age[g]
In the Evening of Life
God and Light
7 Light is sweet,
and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
8 No matter how many years you may live,
you should enjoy all of them,
for remember that the days of darkness will be many.
Everything that is to come is vanity.
Rejoice in Your Youth
9 Rejoice, young man, while you are young,
and make the most of the days of your youth.
Follow the inclinations of your heart
and the desires of your eyes.
Yet remember that for all these things
God will demand an account.[h]
10 Banish grief from your heart
and ignore the sufferings of your body,
for youth and the prime of life are fleeting.
Chapter 12
Remember Your Creator . . .
1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth
before the bad times come
and the years draw near when you will say,
“I take no pleasure in them”;
2 before the sun and the light of day
give way to darkness,
before the moon and the stars grow dim
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 [i]when the guardians of the house tremble
and the strong men are bent over,
and the women who grind the meal
cease working because they are few in number,
and those who look through the windows
realize that their eyesight is failing;
4 when the doors to the street are shut
and the sound of grinding begins to fade,
when one waits to hear the chirping of a bird,
but all the songbirds are silent;
5 when one is afraid of heights
and is concerned about dangers on the streets.
And You Return to Your Eternal Home
Remember him—when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper is sluggish
and desire is no longer stirred,
and you return to your eternal home
while the mourners assemble in the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is snapped
or the golden bowl is broken
or the pitcher is shattered at the spring
or the wheel is broken at the well
7 and the dust returns to the earth from which it came
and the spirit returns to God[j] who gave it.
Final Editor’s Note
8 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth;
all things are vanity.
9 In addition to his wisdom, Qoheleth taught the people knowledge, having weighed, studied, and arranged many proverbs. 10 Qoheleth sought to express his thoughts in a pleasing way and to convey truths with precision.
11 The sayings of the wise are as sharp as goads; like spikes firmly positioned are the lessons offered by a single shepherd. 12 In regard to anything beyond these, my child, beware. There is no end to the writing of many books, and extensive study results in a weariness of the flesh.
Paul Defends His Apostolate[a]
Chapter 1
Address
Paul Commissioned by Christ Himself.[b] 1 Paul, an apostle[c]—commissioned not by human authority or by any human being, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brethren[d] who are with me, to the Churches of Galatia. 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age[e] in accordance with the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.[f]
One Gospel, One Revelation, One Apostolate[g]
Loyalty to the Gospel. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. 7 In reality, there is not another one, but there are some who are troubling you by perverting the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you other than the one we proclaimed to you, let him be accursed! 9 We have said this before, and now I repeat it: if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you received, let him be accursed![h]
10 Does it now appear to you that I am trying to gain the approval of human beings rather than the approval of God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
11 Paul’s Gospel Revealed to Him by Christ.[i]Brethren, I want you to be assured that the gospel I preached to you is not human in its origin. 12 I did not receive it from a human being, nor was I taught it. Rather, I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 Undoubtedly you have heard about my former way of life in Judaism,[j] how I fiercely persecuted the Church of God and tried to destroy it. 14 I progressed in Judaism far beyond many of my contemporaries, inasmuch as I was much more zealous in upholding the traditions of my ancestors.
15 Paul’s Early Years as a Christian. However, when God, who had set me apart even before my birth, called me through his grace and chose 16 to reveal his Son to me so that I might proclaim him to the Gentiles, I did not confer with flesh and blood,[k] 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before me. Rather, I went off to Arabia, and afterward I returned to Damascus.
18 Paul’s First Meeting with Peter.[l] Then after three years, I did go up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. 19 However, I did not set eyes on any of the other apostles, except for James, the brother of the Lord.[m] 20 I declare before God that I am not lying in anything I have written.
21 Afterward, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia.[n] 22 I was still unknown by sight to the Churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They had only heard it said, “The one who was formerly persecuting us is now preaching the faith that he had once tried to destroy.” 24 As a result, they gave glory to God because of me.
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