Ecclesiastes 1:12

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

He said to the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy to Yahweh, “Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel built. It will no longer be a burden on your shoulders. Now serve Yahweh your God, and his people Israel.

“Behold, I have found this,” says the Preacher, “to one another, to find out the scheme

But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

For this I was appointed as a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

I tell the truth in Christ. I am not lying, my conscience testifying with me in the Holy Spirit

To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment.

The king went up to Yahweh’s house, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, with the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in Yahweh’s house.

The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren’t you my work in the Lord?

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope;

The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, “We will do all that Yahweh has said, and be obedient.”

You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Yahweh my God commanded me, that you should do so in the middle of the land where you go in to possess it.

They shall teach Jacob your ordinances, and Israel your law. They shall put incense before you, and whole burnt offering on your altar.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months; and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

King Solomon was king over all Israel.

However I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

The woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that Yahweh’s word in your mouth is truth.”

The king commanded all the people, saying, “Keep the Passover to Yahweh your God, as it is written in this book of the covenant.”

All these were men of war, who could order the battle array, and came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Ben Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah;

Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, saying, “Don’t fight with small nor great, except only with the king of Israel.”

Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who had good understanding in the service of Yahweh. So they ate throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace offerings, and making confession to Yahweh, the God of their fathers.

Hilkiah answered Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the book of the law in Yahweh’s house.” So Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

“Yahweh says, ‘Behold, I will bring evil on this place, and on its inhabitants, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah.

The king went up to Yahweh’s house, with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, both great and small; and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in Yahweh’s house.

You have also appointed prophets to proclaim of you at Jerusalem, saying, ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now it will be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let’s take counsel together.”

They stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Yahweh their God a fourth part of the day; and a fourth part they confessed, and worshiped Yahweh their God.

The small and the great are there. The servant is free from his master.

Come, you children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.

I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways. Sinners will be converted to you.

The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time!

Yahweh detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the thoughts of the pure are pleasing.

Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; and those who wait for me shall not be disappointed.”

The Lord Yahweh’s Spirit is on me, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good news to the humble. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to those who are bound,

Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.

He taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.

John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.

The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach,

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

For God is my witness, whom I serve in my spirit in the Good News of his Son, how unceasingly I make mention of you always in my prayers,

For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry;

or service, let’s give ourselves to service; or he who teaches, to his teaching;

that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,

As the truth of Christ is in me, no one will stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.

but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised—

yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

So then, those who are of faith are blessed with the faithful Abraham.

if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you,

but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

to which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am telling the truth in Christ, not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the offspring of David, according to my Good News,

and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly;

As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need for anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in him.

The wise in heart shall be called prudent. Pleasantness of the lips promotes instruction.

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