Ecclesiastes 2:3

No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”

Don’t love the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love isn’t in him.

Now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God require of you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.

You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Therefore I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works; for that is his portion: for who can bring him to see what will be after him?

that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you—you, your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God.

For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.

Then I commended mirth, because a man has no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be joyful: for that will accompany him in his labor all the days of his life which God has given him under the sun.

Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.

For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom. All those who do his work have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Don’t be among ones drinking too much wine, or those who gorge themselves on meat:

It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’

I turned myself to consider wisdom, madness, and folly; for what can the king’s successor do? Just that which has been done long ago.

For there is a time and procedure for every purpose, although the misery of man is heavy on him.

Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.

Woe to those who are mighty to drink wine, and champions at mixing strong drink;

He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb.

If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.

Let’s walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy.

But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

“You and your sons are not to drink wine or strong drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.

You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you.

He grows up like a flower, and is cut down. He also flees like a shadow, and doesn’t continue.

To man he said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. To depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

“Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don’t be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.

He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.

The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.

Wine is a mocker and beer is a brawler. Whoever is led astray by them is not wise.

I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also was a chasing after wind.

He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

For he doesn’t know that which will be; for who can tell him how it will be?

But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow, because he doesn’t fear God.

They also reel with wine, and stagger with strong drink. The priest and the prophet reel with strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They stagger with strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment.

‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.

I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents.

envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night.

If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless.

He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

After two full years, Absalom had sheep shearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!”

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”

“Isn’t a man forced to labor on earth? Aren’t his days like the days of a hired hand?

“Man, who is born of a woman, is of few days, and full of trouble.

Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.”

The days of our years are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty years; yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for it passes quickly, and we fly away.

I am a stranger on the earth. Don’t hide your commandments from me.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear Yahweh all day long.

I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under the sky. It is a heavy burden that God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life of vanity, which he has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity, for that is your portion in life, and in your labor in which you labor under the sun.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?

Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?

You can’t both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can’t both partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons.

If I fought with animals at Ephesus for human purposes, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, then “let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”

What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.”

Charge those who are rich in this present world that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy;

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

For who knows what is good for man in life, all the days of his vain life which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell a man what will be after him under the sun?

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

Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,

Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. The days of the years of my life have been few and evil. They have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing until the morning light.

If a man dies, will he live again? I would wait all the days of my warfare, until my release should come.

Who is someone who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good?

There is nothing better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and make his soul enjoy good in his labor. This also I saw, that it is from the hand of God.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:

It is good that you should take hold of this. Yes, also don’t withdraw your hand from that; for he who fears God will come out of them all.

I turned around, and my heart sought to know and to search out, and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know that wickedness is stupidity, and that foolishness is madness.

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

For, “He who would love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.