Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Ecclesiastes 4:1–6:12; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:7; Psalm 47:1-9; and Proverbs 22:16. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.
Ecclesiastes 4-6:12 (Contemporary English Version)
Ecclesiastes 4
1I looked again and saw people being mistreated everywhere on earth. They were crying, but no one was there to offer comfort, and those who mistreated them were powerful. 2I said to myself, "The dead are better off than the living. 3But those who have never been born are better off than anyone else, because they have never seen the terrible things that happen on this earth." 4Then I realized that we work and do wonderful things just because we are jealous of others. This makes no more sense than chasing the wind. [a] 5Fools will fold their hands
and starve to death.
6Yet a very little food
eaten in peace
is better than twice as much
earned from overwork
and chasing the wind. [b]
7Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. 8For example, some people don't have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, "Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?" What a senseless and miserable life!
and starve to death.
6Yet a very little food
eaten in peace
is better than twice as much
earned from overwork
and chasing the wind. [b]
7Once again I saw that nothing on earth makes sense. 8For example, some people don't have friends or family. But they are never satisfied with what they own, and they never stop working to get more. They should ask themselves, "Why am I always working to have more? Who will get what I leave behind?" What a senseless and miserable life!
It Is Better To Have a Friend
9You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. 10If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. 11If you sleep alone, you won't have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. 12Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you. As the saying goes, "A rope made from three strands of cord is hard to break." 13You may be poor and young. But if you are wise, you are better off than a foolish old king who won't listen to advice. 14Even if you were not born into the royal family and have been a prisoner and poor, you can still be king. 15I once saw everyone in the world follow a young leader who came to power after the king was gone. 16His followers could not even be counted. But years from now, no one will praise him--this makes no more sense than chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 5
Be Careful How You Worship
1Be careful what you do when you enter the house of God. Some fools go there to offer sacrifices, even though they haven't sinned. But it's best just to listen when you go to worship. 2Don't talk before you think or make promises to God without thinking them through. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so don't talk too much. 3If you keep thinking about something, you will dream about it. If you talk too much, you will say the wrong thing. 4God doesn't like fools. So don't be slow to keep your promises to God. 5It's better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it. 6Don't let your mouth get you in trouble! And don't say to the worship leader, [c] "I didn't mean what I said." God can destroy everything you have worked for, so don't say something that makes God angry. 7Respect and obey God! Daydreaming leads to a lot of senseless talk. [d] 8Don't be surprised if the poor of your country are abused, and injustice takes the place of justice. After all, the lower officials must do what the higher ones order them to do. 9And since the king is the highest official, he benefits most from the taxes paid on the land. [e] 10If you love money and wealth, you will never be satisfied with what you have. This doesn't make sense either. 11The more you have, the more everyone expects from you. Your money won't do you any good--others will just spend it for you. 12If you have to work hard for a living, you can rest well at night, even if you don't have much to eat. But if you are rich, you can't even sleep.
13I have seen something terribly unfair. People get rich, but it does them no good. 14Suddenly they lose everything in a bad business deal, then have nothing to leave for their children. 15They came into this world naked, and when they die, they will be just as naked. They can't take anything with them, and they won't have anything to show for all their work. 16That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came into it. They gained nothing from running after the wind. 17Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter. [f] 18What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do. 19Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard--this is God's gift to you. 20God will keep you so happy that you won't have time to worry about each day.
13I have seen something terribly unfair. People get rich, but it does them no good. 14Suddenly they lose everything in a bad business deal, then have nothing to leave for their children. 15They came into this world naked, and when they die, they will be just as naked. They can't take anything with them, and they won't have anything to show for all their work. 16That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came into it. They gained nothing from running after the wind. 17Besides all this, they are always gloomy at mealtime, and they are troubled, sick, and bitter. [f] 18What is the best thing to do in the short life that God has given us? I think we should enjoy eating, drinking, and working hard. This is what God intends for us to do. 19Suppose you are very rich and able to enjoy everything you own. Then go ahead and enjoy working hard--this is God's gift to you. 20God will keep you so happy that you won't have time to worry about each day.
Ecclesiastes 6
Don't Depend on Wealth
1There is something else terribly unfair, and it troubles everyone on earth. 2God may give you everything you want--money, property, and wealth. Then God doesn't let you enjoy it, and someone you don't even know gets it all. That's senseless and terribly unfair! 3You may live a long time and have a hundred children. But a child born dead is better off than you, unless you enjoy life and have a decent burial. 4-5That child will never live to see the sun or to have a name, and it will go straight to the world of darkness. But it will still find more rest than you, 6even if you live two thousand years and don't enjoy life. As you know, we all end up in the same place.
7We struggle just to have enough to eat, but we are never satisfied. 8We may be sensible, yet we are no better off than a fool. And if we are poor, it still doesn't do us any good to try to live right. 9It's better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind. [g] 10Everything that happens was decided long ago. We humans know what we are like, and we can't argue with God, because he is [h] too strong for us. 11The more we talk, the less sense we make, so what good does it do to talk? 12Life is short and meaningless, and it fades away like a shadow. Who knows what is best for us? Who knows what will happen after we are gone?
Footnotes:- Ecclesiastes 4:4 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14.
- Ecclesiastes 4:6 even. . . sinned: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 worship leader: Or "messenger."
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Daydreaming. . . talk: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ecclesiastes 5:9 land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.
- Ecclesiastes 5:17 bitter: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14,17.
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 with God, because he is: Or "with anyone who is."
7We struggle just to have enough to eat, but we are never satisfied. 8We may be sensible, yet we are no better off than a fool. And if we are poor, it still doesn't do us any good to try to live right. 9It's better to enjoy what we have than to always want something else, because that makes no more sense than chasing the wind. [g] 10Everything that happens was decided long ago. We humans know what we are like, and we can't argue with God, because he is [h] too strong for us. 11The more we talk, the less sense we make, so what good does it do to talk? 12Life is short and meaningless, and it fades away like a shadow. Who knows what is best for us? Who knows what will happen after we are gone?
Footnotes:
- Ecclesiastes 4:4 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14.
- Ecclesiastes 4:6 even. . . sinned: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 worship leader: Or "messenger."
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Daydreaming. . . talk: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
- Ecclesiastes 5:9 land: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 9.
- Ecclesiastes 5:17 bitter: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
- Ecclesiastes 6:9 chasing the wind: See the note at 1.14,17.
- Ecclesiastes 6:10 with God, because he is: Or "with anyone who is."
2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7 (Contemporary English Version)
The Temple of the Living God
14Stay away from people who are not followers of the Lord! Can someone who is good get along with someone who is evil? Are light and darkness the same? 15Is Christ a friend of Satan? [a] Can people who follow the Lord have anything in common with those who don't? 16Do idols belong in the temple of God? We are the temple of the living God, as God himself says, "I will live with these people and walk among them.I will be their God,
and they will be
my people."
17The Lord also says,
"Leave them and stay away!
Don't touch anything
that isn't clean.
Then I will welcome you
18and be your Father.
You will be my sons
and my daughters,
as surely as I am God,
the All-Powerful."
2 Corinthians 7
The Church Makes Paul Happy
2Make a place for us in your hearts! We haven't mistreated or hurt anyone. We haven't cheated anyone. 3I am not saying this to be hard on you. But, as I have said before, you will always be in our thoughts, whether we live or die. 4I trust you completely. [b] I am always proud of you, and I am greatly encouraged. In all my trouble I am still very happy. 5After we came to Macedonia, we didn't have any chance to rest. We were faced with all kinds of problems. We were troubled by enemies and troubled by fears. 6But God cheers up people in need, and that is what he did when he sent Titus to us. 7Of course, we were glad to see Titus, but what really made us glad is the way you cheered him up. He told how sorry you were and how concerned you were about me. And this made me even happier.Footnotes:
- 2 Corinthians 6:15 Satan: The Greek text has "Beliar," which is another form of the Hebrew word "Belial," meaning "wicked" or "useless." The Jewish people sometimes used this as a name for Satan.
- 2 Corinthians 7:4 I trust you completely: Or "I have always spoken the truth to you" or "I can speak freely to you."
Psalm 47:1-9 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 47
(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)
God Rules the Nations
1All of you nations, clap your hands
and shout
joyful praises to God.
2The LORD Most High is fearsome,
the ruler of all the earth.
3God has put every nation
under our power,
4and he chose for us the land
that was the pride of Jacob,
his favorite.
5God goes up to his throne,
as people shout
and trumpets blast.
6Sing praises to God our King,
7the ruler of all the earth!
Praise God with songs.
8God rules the nations
from his sacred throne.
9Their leaders come together
and are now the people
of Abraham's God.
All rulers on earth
surrender their weapons,
and God is greatly praised!
and shout
joyful praises to God.
2The LORD Most High is fearsome,
the ruler of all the earth.
3God has put every nation
under our power,
4and he chose for us the land
that was the pride of Jacob,
his favorite.
5God goes up to his throne,
as people shout
and trumpets blast.
6Sing praises to God our King,
7the ruler of all the earth!
Praise God with songs.
8God rules the nations
from his sacred throne.
9Their leaders come together
and are now the people
of Abraham's God.
All rulers on earth
surrender their weapons,
and God is greatly praised!
Proverbs 22:16 (Contemporary English Version)
16Cheat the poor to make profit
or give gifts to the rich--
either way you lose.
or give gifts to the rich--
either way you lose.
Thought for the Day
“[It Is Best To Obey the LORD] with this message: People of Israel, I am the holy LORD God, the one who rescues you. For your own good, I teach you, and I lead you along the right path.” (Isaiah 48:17 - Contemporary English Version) God's command to us is neither arbitrary nor capricious. You see, he knows our lives will improve the minute we decide to love him with everything we've got and to love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves.
Thought for the Day
Quote for the Day
American journalist who worked for Life magazine starting in 1955, then moved on to Time magazine in 1957, Hugh Sidey wrote, "The problems seem so easy out there on the stump. Deficits shrink with a rhetorical flourish."
A Joke for Today
Laughter is the best medicine...
Unless you have broken ribs.
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That the world unites in care for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Quote for the Day
American journalist who worked for Life magazine starting in 1955, then moved on to Time magazine in 1957, Hugh Sidey wrote, "The problems seem so easy out there on the stump. Deficits shrink with a rhetorical flourish."
A Joke for Today
Laughter is the best medicine...
Unless you have broken ribs.
A Prayer Request
As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.
That the world unites in care for those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
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