Old/New Testament
7 Divers precepts to follow that which is good, and to avoid the contrary.
1 Surely there be many things that increase vanity, and what availeth it a man?
2 For who knoweth what is [a]good for man in the life, and in the number of the days of the life of his vanity, seeing he maketh them as a (A)shadow? for who can show unto man what shall be after him under the sun?
3 (B)A good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of [b]death, than the day that one is born.
4 It is better to go to the house of [c]mourning, than to go to the house of feasting, because this is the end of all men: and the living shall lay it to his heart.
5 Anger is better than laughter: for by a sad look the heart is made better.
6 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
7 Better it is to hear the rebuke of a wise man, than that a man should hear the song of fools.
8 For like the noise of the [d]thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool: this also is vanity.
9 Surely oppression maketh a wise man [e]mad: and the reward destroyeth the heart.
10 The [f]end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.
11 Be not thou of an hasty spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
12 Say not thou, Why is it that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire [g]wisely of this thing.
13 Wisdom is good with an [h]inheritance, and excellent to them that see the sun.
14 For man shall rest in the shadow of wisdom, and in the shadow of silver: but the excellency of the knowledge of wisdom giveth life to the possessors thereof.
15 Behold the work of God; for who can make (C)straight that which he hath made crooked?
16 In the day of wealth be of good comfort, and in the day of affliction [i]consider: God also hath made this contrary to that, to the intent that man should find [j]nothing after him.
17 I have seen all things in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his [k]justice, and there is a wicked man that continueth long in his malice.
18 Be not thou just [l]overmuch, neither make thyself overwise: wherefore shouldest thou be desolate?
19 Be not thou wicked [m]overmuch, neither be thou foolish: wherefore shouldest thou perish not in thy time?
20 It is good that thou lay hold on [n]this: but yet withdraw not thine hand from [o]that: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.
21 Wisdom shall strengthen the wise men more than ten mighty princes that are in the city.
22 (D)Surely there is no man just in the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.
23 Give not thine [p]heart also to all the words that men speak, lest thou do hear thy servant cursing thee.
24 For oftentimes also thine heart knoweth that thou likewise hast [q]cursed others.
25 All this have I proved by wisdom: I thought, I will be wise, but it went far from me.
26 It is far off, what may [r]it be? and it is a profound deepness, who can find it?
27 I have compassed about, both I and mine heart to know and to inquire and to search wisdom, and reason, and to know the wickedness of folly, and the foolishness of madness,
28 And I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is as nets and snares, and her hands as bands: he that is good before God, shall be delivered from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.
29 Behold, saith the Preacher, this have I found, seeking one by one to [s]find the count:
30 And yet my soul seeketh, but I find it not. I have found one man of a thousand: but a woman among them all have I not found.
31 Only lo, this have I found, that God hath made man righteous: but they have sought many [t]inventions.
8 2 To obey Princes and Magistrates. 17 The works of God pass man’s knowledge.
1 Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? the wisdom of a man doth make his face [u]to shine: and [v]the strength of his face shall be changed.
2 I advertise thee to take heed to the [w]mouth of the king, and to the word of the oath of God.
3 [x]Haste not to go forth of his sight: stand not in an evil thing: for he will do whatsoever pleaseth him.
4 Where the word of the King is, there is power, and who shall say unto him, What doest thou?
5 He that keepeth the commandment, shall know none evil thing, and the heart of the wise shall know the [y]time, and judgment.
6 For to every purpose there is a time and judgment, because the [z]misery of man is great upon him.
7 For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
8 Man is not Lord [aa]over the spirit to retain the spirit: neither hath he power in the day of death, nor deliverance in the battle, neither shall wickedness deliver the possessors thereof.
9 All this have I seen, and have given mine heart to every work which is wrought under the sun, and I saw a time that man ruleth over man to his own [ab]hurt.
10 And likewise I saw the wicked buried, and [ac]they returned, and they that came from the holy [ad]place, were yet forgotten in the city, where they had done right: this also is vanity.
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not [ae]executed speedily, therefore the heart of the children of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and God prolongeth his days, yet I know that it shall be well with them that fear the Lord, and do reverence before him.
13 But it shall not be well to the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days: he shall be like a shadow, because he feareth not before God.
14 There is a vanity, which is done upon the earth, that there be righteous men to whom it cometh according to the [af]work of the wicked: and there be wicked men to whom it cometh according to the work of the just: I thought also that this is vanity.
15 And I praised joy, for there is no goodness to man under the sun, save [ag]to eat and to drink and to rejoice: for this is adjoined to his labor the days of his life that God hath given him under the sun.
16 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to behold the business that is done on earth, that neither day nor night the eyes of man take sleep,
17 Then I beheld the whole work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is wrought under the sun: for the which man laboreth to seek it, and cannot find it: yea, and though the wise man think to know it, he cannot find it.
9 1 By no outward thing can man know whom God loveth or hateth. 12 No man knoweth his end. 16 Wisdom excelleth strength.
1 I have surely given mine heart to all this, and to declare all this, that the just, and the wise, and their works are in the hand of God: and no man knoweth either love or [ah]hatred of all that is before them.
2 All things come alike to all: and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked, to the good and to the pure, and to the polluted, and to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner, he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 This is evil among all that is done under the sun, that there is one [ai]condition to all, and also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that, they go to the dead.
4 Surely whosoever is joined to all the living, there is hope: for it is better to a [aj]living dog, than to a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know nothing at all: neither have they anymore a reward: for their remembrance is forgotten.
6 Also their love and their hatred, and their envy is now perished, and they have no more portion forever, in all that is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a cheerful heart: for God now [ak]accepteth thy works.
8 At all times let thy garments be [al]white, and let not oil be lacking upon thine head.
9 [am](E)Rejoice with the wife whom thou hast loved all the days of the life of thy vanity, which God hath given thee under the sun all the days of thy vanity: for this is thy portion in the life, and in thy travail wherein thou laborest under the sun.
10 All that thine hand shall find to do, do it with all thy power: for there is neither work nor invention, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest.
11 I returned, and I saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor yet bread to the wise, nor also riches to men of understanding, neither yet favor to men of knowledge: but time and [an]chance cometh to them all.
12 For neither doth man know his [ao]time, but as the fishes which are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare: so are the children of men snared in the evil time, when it falleth upon them suddenly.
13 I have also seen this wisdom under the sun, and it is great unto me.
14 A little city and few men in it, and a great King came against it, and compassed it about, and built forts against it.
15 And there was found therein a poor and wise man, and he delivered the city by his wisdom, but none remembered this poor man.
16 Then said I, Better is wisdom than strength: yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise are more heard in quietness, than the cry of him that ruleth among fools.
18 Better is wisdom than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
13 1 Coming the third time, 2 he denounceth the sharper vengeance toward them, 4 who have a perfect trial of the power of Christ in his Apostleship: 7 At length he prayeth for their repentance, 11 And wisheth them prosperity.
1 Lo this is the third time that I come unto you. (A)In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand.
2 I told you before, and tell you before: as though I had been present the second time, so write I now being absent to them, which heretofore have sinned, and to all others, that if I come again, I will not spare,
3 [a]Seeing that ye seek experience of Christ, that speaketh in me, which toward you is not weak, but is [b]mighty in you.
4 For though he was crucified concerning [c]his infirmity, yet liveth he through the power of God. And we no doubt are weak in him, but we shall live with him, through the power of God toward you.
5 (B)[d]Prove yourselves whether ye are in the faith: examine yourselves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
6 [e]But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
7 Now I pray unto God that ye do none evil, not that we should seem approved, but that ye should do that which is honest: though we be as [f]reprobates.
8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but for the truth.
9 For we are glad when we are weak, and that ye are strong: this also we wish for, even your [g]perfection.
10 Therefore write I these things being absent, lest when I am present, I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me, to edification, and not to destruction.
11 [h]Finally brethren, fare ye well: be perfect: be of good comfort: be of one mind: live in peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
12 [i]Greet one another with an (C)holy kiss. All the Saints salute you.
13 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all, Amen.
¶ The second Epistle to the Corinthians, written from Philippi, a city in Macedonia, and sent by Titus and Lucas.
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