Old/New Testament
Evil Oppression on Earth
4 So[a] I again considered[b] all the oppression[c] that continually occurs[d] on earth.[e]
This is what I saw:[f]
The oppressed[g] were in tears,[h] but no one was comforting them;
no one delivers[i] them from the power of their oppressors.[j]
2 So I considered[k] those who are dead and gone[l]
more fortunate than those who are still alive.[m]
3 But better than both is the one who has not been born[n]
and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth.[o]
Labor Motivated by Envy
4 Then I considered[p] all the skillful work[q] that is done:
Surely it is nothing more than[r] competition[s] between one person and another.[t]
This also is profitless—like[u] chasing the wind.
5 The fool folds his hands and does no work,[v]
so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.[w]
6 Better is one handful with some rest
than two hands full of toil[x] and chasing the wind.
Labor Motivated by Greed
7 So[y] I again considered[z] another[aa] futile thing on earth:[ab]
8 A man who is all alone with no companion,[ac]
he has no children nor siblings;[ad]
yet there is no end to all his toil,
and he[ae] is never satisfied with riches.
He laments,[af] “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself[ag] of pleasure?”[ah]
This also is futile and a burdensome task![ai]
Labor is Beneficial When Its Rewards Are Shared
9 Two people are better than one,
because they can reap[aj] more benefit[ak] from their labor.
10 For if they fall, one will help his companion up,
but pity[al] the person who falls down and has no one to help him up.
11 Furthermore, if two lie down together, they can keep each other warm,
but how can one person keep warm by himself?
12 Although an assailant may overpower[am] one person,
two can withstand him.
Moreover, a three-stranded cord is not quickly broken.
Labor Motivated by Prestige Seeking
13 A poor but wise youth is better than an old and foolish king
who no longer knows how to receive advice.
14 For he came out of prison[an] to become king,
even though he had been born poor in what would become his[ao] kingdom.
15 I considered all the living who walk on earth,[ap]
as well as the successor[aq] who would arise[ar] in his place.
16 There is no end to all the people[as] nor to the past generations,[at]
yet future generations[au] will not rejoice in him.
This also is profitless and like[av] chasing the wind.
Rash Vows
5 (4:17)[aw] Be careful what you do[ax] when you go to the temple[ay] of God;
draw near to listen[az] rather than to offer a sacrifice[ba] like fools,[bb]
for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.
2 (5:1) Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God,
for God is in heaven and you are on earth!
Therefore, let your words be few.
3 Just as dreams come when there are many cares,[bc]
so[bd] the rash vow[be] of a fool occurs[bf] when there are many words.
4 When you make a vow[bg] to God, do not delay in paying it.[bh]
For God[bi] takes no pleasure in fools:
Pay what you vow!
5 It is better for you not to vow
than to vow and not pay it.[bj]
6 Do not let your mouth cause you[bk] to sin,
and do not tell the priest,[bl] “It was a mistake!”[bm]
Why make God angry at you[bn]
so that he would destroy the work of your hands?
7 Just as there is futility in many dreams,
so also in many words.[bo]
Therefore, fear God.
Government Corruption
8 If you see the extortion[bp] of the poor,
or the perversion[bq] of justice and fairness in the government,[br]
do not be astonished by the matter.
For the high official is watched by a higher official,[bs]
and there are higher ones over them![bt]
9 The produce of the land is seized[bu] by all of them,
even the king is served[bv] by the fields.[bw]
Covetousness
10 The one who loves money[bx] will never be satisfied with money,[by]
he who loves wealth[bz] will never be satisfied[ca] with his[cb] income.
This also is futile.
11 When someone’s[cc] prosperity[cd] increases, those who consume it also increase;
so what does its owner[ce] gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?[cf]
12 The sleep of the laborer is pleasant—whether he eats little or much—
but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
Materialism Thwarts Enjoyment of Life
13 Here is[cg] a misfortune[ch] on earth[ci] that I have seen:
Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.
14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck;[cj]
although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him.[ck]
15 Just as he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked will he return as he came,
and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil.
16 This is another misfortune:[cl]
Just as he came, so will he go.
What did he gain from toiling for the wind?
17 Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life,[cm]
and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.
Enjoy the Fruit of Your Labor
18 I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people:[cn]
to eat and drink,[co] and find enjoyment in all their[cp] hard work[cq] on earth[cr]
during the few days of their life that God has given them,
for this is their reward.[cs]
19 To every man whom God has given wealth and possessions,
he has also given him the ability[ct]
to eat from them, to receive his reward, and to find enjoyment in his toil;
these things[cu] are the gift of God.
20 For he does not think[cv] much about the fleeting[cw] days of his life
because God keeps him preoccupied[cx] with the joy he derives from his activity.[cy]
Not Everyone Enjoys Life
6 Here is[cz] another misfortune[da] that I have seen on earth,[db]
and it weighs heavily[dc] on people:[dd]
2 God gives a man riches, property, and wealth
so that he lacks nothing that his heart[de] desires,[df]
yet God does not enable[dg] him to enjoy[dh] the fruit of his labor[di]—
instead, someone else[dj] enjoys[dk] it![dl]
This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.[dm]
3 Even if a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years,
even if he lives a long, long time,[dn] but cannot enjoy his prosperity—
even if he were to live forever[do]—
I would say, “A stillborn child[dp] is better off than he is.”[dq]
4 Though the stillborn child[dr] came into the world[ds] for no reason[dt] and departed into darkness,
though its name is shrouded in darkness,[du]
5 though it never saw the light of day[dv] nor knew anything,[dw]
yet it has more rest[dx] than that man—
6 if he should live a thousand years twice, yet does not enjoy his prosperity.
For both of them die![dy]
7 All man’s labor is for nothing more than[dz] to fill his stomach[ea]—
yet his appetite[eb] is never satisfied!
8 So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool?[ec]
And what advantage[ed] does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?[ee]
9 It is better to be content with[ef] what the eyes can see[eg]
than for one’s heart always to crave more.[eh]
This continual longing[ei] is futile—like[ej] chasing the wind.
The Futile Way Life Works
10 Whatever has happened was foreordained,[ek]
and what happens to a person[el] was also foreknown.
It is useless for him to argue with God about his fate
because God is more powerful than he is.[em]
11 The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes.[en]
How does that benefit him?[eo]
12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life[ep]—
during the few days of his fleeting life—
for[eq] they pass away[er] like a shadow.
Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.[es]
Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh
12 It is necessary to go on boasting.[a] Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know that this man (whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows) 4 was caught up into paradise[b] and heard things too sacred to be put into words,[c] things that a person[d] is not permitted to speak. 5 On behalf of such an individual I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. 6 For even if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I would be telling[e] the truth, but I refrain from this so that no one may regard[f] me beyond what he sees in me or what he hears from me, 7 even because of the extraordinary character of the revelations. Therefore,[g] so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble[h] me—so that I would not become arrogant.[i] 8 I asked the Lord three times about this, that it would depart from me. 9 But[j] he said to me, “My grace is enough[k] for you, for my[l] power is made perfect[m] in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly[n] about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in[o] me. 10 Therefore I am content with[p] weaknesses, with insults, with troubles, with persecutions and difficulties[q] for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
The Signs of an Apostle
11 I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison[r] to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. 12 Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance[s] by signs and wonders and powerful deeds.[t] 13 For how[u] were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this injustice! 14 Look, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you, because I do not want your possessions, but you. For children should not have[v] to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 Now I will most gladly spend and be spent for your lives![w] If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16 But be that as it may, I have not burdened you. Yet because I was a crafty person, I took you in by deceit! 17 I have not taken advantage of you through anyone I have sent to you, have I?[x] 18 I urged Titus to visit you[y] and I sent our[z] brother along with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he?[aa] Did we not conduct ourselves in the same spirit? Did we not behave in the same way?[ab] 19 Have you been thinking all this time[ac] that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up.[ad] 20 For I am afraid that somehow when I come I will not find you what I wish, and you will find me[ae] not what you wish. I am afraid that[af] somehow there may be quarreling, jealousy, intense anger, selfish ambition,[ag] slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. 21 I am afraid that[ah] when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you, and I will grieve for[ai] many of those who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and licentiousness that they have practiced.
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