Day 245 of 730

¹Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

²Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

³If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

⁴He who observes the wind won't sow; and he who regards the clouds won't reap.

⁵As you do not know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you do not know the work of God who does all.

⁶In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.

⁷Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.

⁸Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

⁹Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

¹⁰Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

¹Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them;"

²Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

³in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,

⁴and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

⁵yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

⁶before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

⁷and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

⁸Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher. All is vanity!

⁹Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

¹⁰The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.

¹¹The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

¹²Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

¹³This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

¹Oh come, let's sing to the Lord. Let's shout aloud to the rock of our salvation!

²Let's come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let's extol him with songs!

³For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods.

⁴In his hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the mountains are also his.

⁵The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land.

⁶Oh come, let's worship and bow down. Let's kneel before the Lord, our Maker,

⁷for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice!

⁸Do not harden your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,

⁹when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.

¹⁰Forty long years I was grieved with that generation, and said, "It is a people that errs in their heart. They have not known my ways."

¹¹Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They won't enter into my rest."

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

³A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked; but those who keep the Law contend with them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice; but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.

⁷Whoever keeps the Law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.

⁹He who turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

¹⁷A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.

¹⁸Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.

¹⁹One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn't know that poverty waits for him.

²³One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, "It's not wrong." He is a partner with a destroyer.

²⁵One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.