Sept 14th

I said of laughter, “It is madness,” and of gladness, “What does it do?”

I explored with my heart how to stimulate my body with wine—while my heart was guiding me wisely—and how to seize simpleminded folly, until I could see where is this good for the sons of men in what they do under heaven the few days of their lives.

I made my works great: I built houses for myself; I planted vineyards for myself;

I made for myself gardens and parks, and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees;

I made for myself pools of water from which to water a forest of growing trees.

I bought male and female slaves, and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.

Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of the sons of men—many concubines.

Then I became great and increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. My wisdom also stood by me.

All that my eyes asked for I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any gladness, for my heart was glad because of all my labor, and this was my reward for all my labor.

Thus I turned to all my works which my hands had done and the labor which I had labored to do, and behold, all was vanity and striving after wind, and there was no advantage under the sun.

So I turned to see wisdom, madness, and simpleminded folly. What will the man do who will come after the king except what has already been done?

And I saw that there is an advantage in wisdom over simpleminded folly as light has an advantage over darkness.

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I know that the fate of one becomes the fate of all of them.

Then I said in my heart, “As is the fate of the fool, so will my fate be also. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said in my heart, “This too is vanity.”

For there is no remembrance of the wise man along with the fool forever, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man dies with the fool!

So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is vanity and striving after wind.

Thus I hated all the fruit of my labor for which I had labored under the sun, for I must leave it to the man who will come after me.

And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a man of simpleminded folly? Yet he will have power over all the fruit of my labor for which I have labored and for which I have acted wisely under the sun. This too is vanity.

Therefore I turned my heart to despair of all my labor for which I had labored under the sun.

When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, then he gives his portion to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

For what does a man get in all his labor and in the striving of his heart with which he labors under the sun?

Because all his days his endeavor is painful and vexing; even at night his heart does not lie down. This too is vanity.

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and have his soul see good in his labor. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God.

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment outside of Him?

For to a man who is good before Him, He has given wisdom and knowledge and gladness, while to the sinner He has given the endeavor of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good before God. This too is vanity and striving after wind.

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven—

What advantage is there to the worker from that in which he labors?

I have seen the endeavor which God has given the sons of men with which to occupy themselves.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.

I know that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and to do good in one’s lifetime;

moreover, that every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor—it is the gift of God.

I know that everything God does will be forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it—God has so worked that men should fear Him.

That which is has been already and that which will be has already been, yet God seeks what is pursued.

Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness, and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness.

I said in my heart, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every work is there.

I said in my heart concerning the sons of men, “God is testing them in order for them to see that they are but beasts.”

For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same fate for each of them. As one dies so dies the other, and they all have the same breath. So there is no advantage for man over beast, for all is vanity.

All go to the same place. All came from the dust, and all return to the dust.

Who knows that the breath of man ascends upward and the breath of the beast descends downward to the earth?

I have seen that nothing is better than that man should be glad in his works, for that is his portion. For who will bring him to see what will occur after him?

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a corruptible body, it is raised an incorruptible body;

it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;

it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual.

The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.

As is the earthy, so also are those who are earthy; and as is the heavenly, so also are those who are heavenly.

And just as we have borne the image of the earthy, we will also bear the image of the heavenly.

Now I say this, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the corruptible inherit the incorruptible.

Behold, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we will be changed.

For this corruptible must put on the incorruptible, and this mortal must put on immortality.

But when this corruptible puts on the incorruptible, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the word that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;

but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.