Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prosperity Comes from the Lord.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon.

¹⁶ Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is ^(A)wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. ¹⁷ I said ^[a]to myself, “^(B)God will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a ^(C)time for every matter and for every deed ^[b]is there. ¹⁸ I said ^[c]to myself regarding the sons of mankind, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are as ^(D)animals, they to themselves.” ^19 (E)For the fate of the sons of mankind and the fate of animals ^[d]is the same. As one dies, so dies the other; indeed, they all have the same breath, and there is no advantage for mankind over animals, for all is futility. ²⁰ All go to the same place. All came from the ^(F)dust and all return to the dust. ²¹ Who knows that the ^(G)spirit of the sons of mankind ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends downward to the earth? ²² I have seen that ^(H)nothing is better than when a person is happy in his activities, for that is his ^[e]lot. For who will bring him to see ^(I)what will occur after him?

The Evils of Oppression

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

⁴ I have seen that every labor and every ^(N)skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a person and his neighbor. This too is ^(O)futility and striving after wind. ⁵ The fool ^(P)folds his hands and ^(Q)consumes his own flesh. ⁶ One hand full of rest is ^(R)better than two fists full of labor and striving after wind.

⁷ Then I looked again at futility under the sun. ⁸ There was a man without a ^[f]dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, ^(S)his eyes were not satisfied with riches, and he never asked, “And ^(T)for whom do I labor and deprive myself of pleasure?” This too is futility, and it is an ^(U)unhappy task.

^2 (A)Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; ³ praying at the same time ^(B)for us as well, that God will open up to us a ^(C)door for ^(D)the word, so that we may proclaim ^(E)the mystery of Christ, for which I have also ^(F)been imprisoned; ⁴ that I may make it clear ^(G)in the way that I ought to proclaim it.

^5 [a](H)Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward ^(I)outsiders, ^[b](J)making the most of the opportunity. ^6 (K)Your speech must always be ^[c]with grace, as though seasoned with ^(L)salt, so that you will know how you should ^(M)respond to each person.