One Year Bible

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14

Wisdom and Folly

1 As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil,

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

2 A wise man’s heart inclines to the right,

but the heart of a fool to the left.

3 Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking,

and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

4 If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post,

for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun —

an error that proceeds from the ruler:

6 Folly is appointed to great heights,

but the rich sit in lowly positions.

7 I have seen slaves on horseback,

while princes go on foot like slaves.

8 He who digs a pit may fall into it,

and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

9 The one who quarries stones may be injured by them,

and he who splits logs endangers himself.

10 If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened,

more strength must be exerted,

but skill produces success.

11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,

there is no profit for the charmer.

12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,

but the lips of a fool consume him.

13 The beginning of his talk is folly,

and the end of his speech is evil madness.

14 Yet the fool multiplies words.

No one knows what is coming,

and who can tell him what will come after him?

15 The toil of a fool wearies him,

for he does not know the way to the city.

16 Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth,

and whose princes feast in the morning.

17 Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles,

and whose princes feast at the proper time—

for strength and not for drunkenness.

18 Through laziness the roof caves in,

and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

19 A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry,

but money is the answer for everything.

20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,

or curse the rich even in your bedroom,

for a bird of the air may carry your words,

and a winged creature may report your speech.

Cast Your Bread upon the Waters

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,

for after many days you will find it again.

2 Divide your portion among seven, or even eight,

for you do not know what disaster may befall the land.

3 If the clouds are full,

they will pour out rain upon the earth;

whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,

in the place where it falls, there it will lie.

4 He who watches the wind will fail to sow,

and he who observes the clouds will fail to reap.

5 As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the bones are formed in a mother’s womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

6 Sow your seed in the morning,

and do not rest your hands in the evening,

for you do not know which will succeed,

whether this or that, or if both will equally prosper.

Enjoy Your Years

7 Light is sweet,

and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

8 So if a man lives many years,

let him rejoice in them all.

But let him remember the days of darkness,

for they will be many.

Everything to come is futile.

9 Rejoice, O young man, while you are young,

and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.

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 to judgment.

10 So banish sorrow from your heart,

and cast off pain from your body,

for youth and vigor are fleeting.

Remember Your Creator

1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

before the days of adversity come

and the years approach of which you will say,

“I find no pleasure in them,”

2 before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is darkened,

and the clouds return after the rain,

3 on the day the keepers of the house tremble

and the strong men stoop,

when those grinding cease because they are few

and those watching through windows see dimly,

4 when the doors to the street are shut

and the sound of the mill fades away,

when one rises at the sound of a bird

and all the daughters of song grow faint,

5 when men fear the heights and dangers of the road,

when the almond tree blossoms,

the grasshopper loses its spring,

and the caper berry shrivels —

for then man goes to his eternal home

and mourners walk the streets.

6 Remember Him before the silver cord is snapped

and the golden bowl is crushed,

before the pitcher is shattered at the spring

and the wheel is broken at the well,

7 before the dust returns to the ground from which it came

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8“Futility of futilities,” says the Teacher.

“Everything is futile!”

The Whole Duty of Man

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs. 10The Teacher searched to find delightful sayings and to record accurate words of truth.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the anthologies of the masters are like firmly embedded nails driven by a single Shepherd. 12And by these, my son, be further warned: There is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body.

13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. 14For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

1 Now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the churches of Macedonia. 2In the terrible ordeal they suffered, their abundant joy and deep poverty overflowed into rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave according to their ability and even beyond it. Of their own accord, 4they earnestly pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And not only did they do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, through the will of God.

6 So we urged Titus to help complete your act of grace, just as he had started it. 7But just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in the love we inspired in you — see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8I am not giving a command, but I am testing the sincerity of your love through the earnestness of others.

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. 10And this is my opinion about what is helpful for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give, but even to have such a desire. 11Now finish the work, so that you may complete it with the same eager desire, according to your means. 12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

13 It is not our intention that others may be relieved while you are burdened, but that there may be equality. 14At the present time, your surplus will meet their need, so that in turn their surplus will meet your need. This way there will be equality. 15As it is written:

“He who gathered much had no excess,

and he who gathered little had no shortfall.”

Psalm 49:1-20

The Evanescence of Wealth

(Ecclesiastes 5:8–20)

1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

Hear this, all you peoples;

listen, all inhabitants of the world,

2 both low and high,

rich and poor alike.

3 My mouth will impart wisdom,

and the meditation of my heart will bring understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;

I will express my riddle with the harp:

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,

when wicked usurpers surround me?

6 They trust in their wealth

and boast in their great riches.

7 No man can possibly redeem his brother

or pay his ransom to God.

8 For the redemption of his soul is costly,

and never can payment suffice,

9 that he should live on forever

and not see decay.

10 For it is clear that wise men die,

and the foolish and the senseless both perish

and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their graves are their eternal homes —

their dwellings for endless generations —

even though their lands were their namesakes.

12 But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure;

he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of the foolish

and their followers who endorse their sayings.

Selah

14 Like sheep they are destined for Sheol.

Death will be their shepherd.

The upright will rule them in the morning,

and their form will decay in Sheol,

far from their lofty abode.

15 But God will redeem my life from Sheol,

for He will surely take me to Himself.

Selah

16 Do not be afraid when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases.

17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away;

his abundance will not follow him down.

18 Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul —

and men praise you when you prosper —

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,

who will never see the light of day.

20 A man who has riches without understanding

is like the beasts that perish.

Proverbs 22:20-21

20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings

about counsel and knowledge,

21 to show you true and reliable words,

that you may soundly answer those who sent you?

sozo church

One Year Bible

Ecclesiastes 10:1-12:14

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Psalm 49:1-20

Proverbs 22:20-21