Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Fool Trusts in Riches

49 Hear this, all people. Listen, all who live in the world, ² both small and great, rich and poor together. ³ My mouth will speak wisdom. And the thoughts of my heart will be understanding. ⁴ I will turn my ear to a wise saying. With a harp, I will tell what is hard to understand.

⁵ Why should I be afraid in the days of trouble, when the sin of those who hate me is all around me? ⁶ They trust in their riches, and are proud of all they have. ⁷ No man can save his brother. No man can pay God enough to save him. ⁸ The cost is much for his soul to be saved. Man should stop trying ⁹ to live forever and not see the grave.

¹⁰ For he sees that even wise men die. The fool and those who cannot think well die alike. And they leave their riches to others. ¹¹ They think in their hearts that their houses will last forever, and that the places where they live will last for all their children to follow. They have used their own names to name their lands. ¹² But man with all his honor does not last. He is like the animals that die.

Life Is of No Worth

1 These are the words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. ² “It is of no use,” says the Preacher. “It is of no use! All is for nothing.”

³ What does a man get for all his work which he does under the sun? ⁴ People die and people are born, but the earth stays forever. ⁵ The sun rises and the sun sets, and travels in a hurry to the place where it rises. ⁶ The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north. It goes around and around, and returns again on its way. ⁷ All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. And they return again to the place from which the rivers flow. ⁸ All things are tiring. Man is not able to tell about them. The eye never has enough to see, and the ear is never filled with what it hears. ⁹ What has been is what will be. And what has been done is what will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun. ¹⁰ Is there anything of which one might say, “See, this is new”? It has already been there since long before us. ¹¹ No one remembers the things that happened before. And no one will remember the things that will happen in the future among those who will come later.

Jesus Teaches about Keeping the Law ^(A)

¹⁷ Jesus was going on His way. A man ran to Him and got down on his knees. He said, “Good Teacher, what must I do to have life that lasts forever?” ¹⁸ Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? There is only One Who is good. That is God. ¹⁹ You know the Laws, ‘Do not be guilty of sex sins in marriage. Do not kill another person. Do not take things from people in wrong ways. Do not steal. Do not lie. Respect your father and mother.’” ²⁰ The man said to Jesus, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these Laws since I was a boy.” ²¹ Jesus looked at him with love and said, “There is one thing for you to do yet. Go and sell everything you have and give the money to poor people. You will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow Me.” ²² When the man heard these words, he was sad. He walked away with sorrow because he had many riches here on earth.