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Ecclesiastes 10-12:14 (Contemporary English Version)
Ecclesiastes 10
1A few dead flies in perfume
make all of it stink,
and a little foolishness
outweighs a lot of wisdom.
2Sensible thoughts lead you
to do right;
foolish thoughts lead you
to do wrong.
3Fools show their stupidity
by the way they live;
it's easy to see
they have no sense.
4Don't give up your job
when your boss gets angry.
If you stay calm,
you'll be forgiven.
5Some things rulers do are terribly unfair:
6They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; 7they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
8If you dig a pit,
you might fall in;
if you break down a wall,
a snake might bite you. [a]
9You could even get hurt
by chiseling a stone
or chopping a log.
10If you don't sharpen your ax,
it will be harder to use;
if you are smart,
you'll know what to do. [b]
11The power to charm a snake
does you no good
if it bites you anyway.
12If you talk sensibly,
you will have friends;
if you talk foolishly,
you will destroy yourself.
13Fools begin with nonsense,
and their stupid chatter
ends with disaster.
14They never tire of talking,
but none of us really know
what the future will bring.
15Fools wear themselves out--
they don't know enough
to find their way home. [c]
16A country is in for trouble
when its ruler is childish,
and its leaders
party all day long.
17But a nation will prosper
when its ruler is mature,
and its leaders
don't party too much.
18Some people are too lazy
to fix a leaky roof--
then the house falls in.
19Eating and drinking
make you feel happy,
and bribes can buy
everything you need.
20Don't even think
about cursing the king;
don't curse the rich,
not even in secret.
A little bird might hear
and tell everything.
Ecclesiastes 11
It Pays To Work Hard
1Be generous, and someday
you will be rewarded. [d]
2Share what you have
with seven or eight others,
because you never know
when disaster may strike.
3Rain clouds always bring rain;
trees always stay
wherever they fall.
4If you worry about the weather
and don't plant seeds,
you won't harvest a crop.
5No one can explain how a baby breathes before it is born. [e] So how can anyone explain what God does? After all, he created everything. 6Plant your seeds early in the morning and keep working in the field until dark. Who knows? Your work might pay off, and your seeds might produce.
Youth and Old Age
7Nothing on earth is more beautiful than the morning sun. 8Even if you live to a ripe old age, you should try to enjoy each day, because darkness will come and will last a long time. Nothing makes sense. [f] 9Be cheerful and enjoy life while you are young! Do what you want and find pleasure in what you see. But don't forget that God will judge you for everything you do.
10Rid yourself of all worry and pain, because the wonderful moments of youth quickly disappear.
Ecclesiastes 12
1Keep your Creator in mind while you are young! In years to come, you will be burdened down with troubles and say, "I don't enjoy life anymore."
2Someday the light of the sun
and the moon and the stars
will all seem dim to you.
Rain clouds will remain
over your head.
3Your body will grow feeble,
your teeth will decay,
and your eyesight fail.
4The noisy grinding of grain
will be shut out
by your deaf ears,
but even the song of a bird
will keep you awake.
5You will be afraid
to climb up a hill
or walk down a road.
Your hair will turn as white
as almond blossoms.
You will feel lifeless
and drag along
like an old grasshopper.
We each go to our eternal home,
and the streets are filled
with those who mourn.
6The silver cord snaps,
the golden bowl breaks;
the water pitcher is smashed,
and the pulley at the well
is shattered.
7So our bodies return
to the earth,
and the life-giving breath [g] returns to God.
8Nothing makes sense.
I have seen it all--
nothing makes sense.
Respect and Obey God
9I was a wise teacher with much understanding, and I collected a number of proverbs that I had carefully studied. 10Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.
11Words of wisdom are like the stick a farmer uses to make animals move. These sayings come from God, our only shepherd, and they are like nails that fasten things together. [h] 12My child, I warn you to stay away from any teachings except these.
There is no end to books,
and too much study
will wear you out.
13Everything you were taught can be put into a few words:
Respect and obey God!
This is what life
is all about.
14God will judge
everything we do,
even what is done in secret,
whether good or bad.
Footnotes:
Ecclesiastes 10:8 a snake might bite you: Walls of houses were often made of stones with mud to fill in the cracks between them. If some of the mud washed out, a snake could be living inside the wall.
Ecclesiastes 10:10 do: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
Ecclesiastes 10:15 home: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 Be generous. . . rewarded: Or "Don't be afraid to invest. Someday it will pay off."
Ecclesiastes 11:5 how. . . born: Or "what makes the wind blow or how a baby grows inside its mother."
Ecclesiastes 11:8 Nothing makes sense: Or "There's nothing to look forward to!"
Ecclesiastes 12:7 life-giving breath: Or "spirit."
Ecclesiastes 12:11 These sayings. . . together: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
2 Corinthians 8:1-15 (Contemporary English Version)
2 Corinthians 8
Generous Giving
1My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia a] have shown others how kind God is. 2Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. 3They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. 4They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. 5And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do. 6Titus was the one who got you started doing this good thing, so we begged him to have you finish what you had begun. 7You do everything better than anyone else. You have stronger faith. You speak better and know more. You are eager to give, and you love us better. b] Now you must give more generously than anyone else. 8I am not ordering you to do this. I am simply testing how real your love is by comparing it with the concern that others have shown. 9You know that our Lord Jesus Christ was kind enough to give up all his riches and become poor, so that you could become rich.
10A year ago you were the first ones to give, and you gave because you wanted to. So listen to my advice. 11I think you should finish what you started. If you give according to what you have, you will prove that you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. 12It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have.
13I am not trying to make life easier for others by making life harder for you. But it is only fair 14for you to share with them when you have so much, and they have so little. Later, when they have more than enough, and you are in need, they can share with you. Then everyone will have a fair share, 15just as the Scriptures say,
"Those who gathered
too much
had nothing left.
Those who gathered
only a little
had all they needed."
Footnotes:
2 Corinthians 8:1 churches in Macedonia: The churches that Paul had started in Philippi and Thessalonica. The church in Berea is probably also meant.
2 Corinthians 8:7 you love us better: Some manuscripts have "we love you better."
Psalm 49:1-20 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 49
(A psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader.)
Don't Depend on Wealth
1Everyone on this earth,
now listen to what I say!
2Listen, no matter who you are,
rich or poor.
3I speak words of wisdom,
and my thoughts make sense.
4I have in mind a mystery
that I will explain
while playing my harp.
5Why should I be afraid
in times of trouble,
when I am surrounded
by vicious enemies?
6They trust in their riches
and brag about
all of their wealth.
7You cannot buy back your life
or pay off God!
8It costs far too much
to buy back your life.
You can never pay God enough
9to stay alive forever
and safe from death.
10We see that wise people die,
and so do stupid fools.
Then their money is left
for someone else.
11The grave [a]
will be their home forever and ever,
although they once had land
of their own.
12Our human glory disappears,
and, like animals, we die.
13Here is what happens to fools
and to those who trust
the words of fools:
14They are like sheep
with death as their shepherd,
leading them to the grave. [b]
In the morning God's people
will walk all over them,
as their bodies lie rotting
in their home, the grave.
15But God will rescue me
from the power of death.
16Don't let it bother you
when others get rich
and live in luxury.
17Soon they will die
and all of their wealth
will be left behind.
18We humans are praised
when we do well,
and all of us are glad
to be alive.
19But we each will go down
to our ancestors,
never again to see
the light of day.
20Our human glory disappears,
and, like animals, we die.
Footnotes:
Psalm 49:11 The grave: Some ancient translations; Hebrew " Their inward thoughts."
Psalm 49:14 as their. . . grave: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text
Proverbs 22:20-21 (Contemporary English Version)
20I have written thirty sayings
filled with sound advice.
21You can trust them completely
to give you the right words
for those in charge of you.
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