ECCLESIASTES 7

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The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly7:1

A good name is better than precious ointment,

and the day of death than the day of birth. 2

It is better to go to the house of mourning

than to go to the house of feasting,

for this is the end of all mankind,

and the living will lay it to heart. 3

Sorrow is better than laughter,

for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. 4

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. 5

It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise

than to hear the song of fools. 6

For as the crackling of thorns under a pot,

so is the laughter of the fools;

this also is vanity. 7

Surely oppression drives the wise into madness,

and a bribe corrupts the heart. 8

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,

and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit. 9

Be not quick in your spirit to become angry,

for anger lodges in the heart of fools. 10

Say not, “Why were the former days better than these?”

For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. 11

Wisdom is good with an inheritance,

an advantage to those who see the sun. 12

For the protection of wisdom is like the protection of money,

and the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of him who has it. 13

Consider the work of God:

who can make straight what he has made crooked?
    14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.
    15 In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
    19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.
    20 Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.
    21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
    23 All this I have tested by wisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?
    25 I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

ECCLESIASTES 8

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Keep the King’s Command8:1

Who is like the wise?

And who knows the interpretation of a thing?

A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,

and the hardness of his face is changed.
    2 I say: Keep the king’s command, because of God’s oath to him. 3 Be not hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. 4 For the word of the king is supreme, and who may say to him, “What are you doing?” 5 Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. 6 For there is a time and a way for everything, although man’s trouble lies heavy on him. 7 For he does not know what is to be, for who can tell him how it will be? 8 No man has power to retain the spirit, or power over the day of death. There is no discharge from war, nor will wickedness deliver those who are given to it. 9 All this I observed while applying my heart to all that is done under the sun, when man had power over man to his hurt. Those Who Fear God Will Do Well10 Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. 11 Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. 12 Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. 13 But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God. Man Cannot Know God’s Ways14 There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. 15 And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.
    16 When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one’s eyes see sleep, 17 then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.

PROVERBS 26

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26:1

Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,

so honor is not fitting for a fool. 2

Like a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,

a curse that is causeless does not alight. 3

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,

and a rod for the back of fools. 4

Answer not a fool according to his folly,

lest you be like him yourself. 5

Answer a fool according to his folly,

lest he be wise in his own eyes. 6

Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool

cuts off his own feet and drinks violence. 7

Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless,

is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 8

Like one who binds the stone in the sling

is one who gives honor to a fool. 9

Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard

is a proverb in the mouth of fools. 10

Like an archer who wounds everyone

is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard. 11

Like a dog that returns to his vomit

is a fool who repeats his folly. 12

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. 13

The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!

There is a lion in the streets!” 14

As a door turns on its hinges,

so does a sluggard on his bed. 15

The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. 16

The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes

than seven men who can answer sensibly. 17

Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own

is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears. 18

Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death 19

is the man who deceives his neighbor

and says, “I am only joking!” 20

For lack of wood the fire goes out,

and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. 21

As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,

so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. 22

The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;

they go down into the inner parts of the body. 23

Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel

are fervent lips with an evil heart. 24

Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips

and harbors deceit in his heart; 25

when he speaks graciously, believe him not,

for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26

though his hatred be covered with deception,

his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27

Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. 28

A lying tongue hates its victims,

and a flattering mouth works ruin.

1 TIMOTHY 5

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Instructions for the Church  5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
    3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
    9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.
    17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.