Ecclesiastes 6:9

“I made a covenant with my eyes, how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

Turn my eyes away from looking at worthless things. Revive me in your ways.

Don’t lust after her beauty in your heart, neither let her captivate you with her eyelids.

For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher. “All is vanity!”

but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

You shall surely destroy all the places in which the nations that you shall dispossess served their gods: on the high mountains, and on the hills, and under every green tree.

Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.

What does man gain from all his labor in which he labors under the sun?

The wise man’s eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness—and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.

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?

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.

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.

For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

It shall be to you for a fringe, that you may see it, and remember all Yahweh’s commandments, and do them; and that you don’t follow your own heart and your own eyes, after which you used to play the prostitute;

The king of Israel went to his house sullen and angry, and came to Samaria.

from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

Blessed is the man who makes Yahweh his trust, and doesn’t respect the proud, nor such as turn away to lies.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

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.

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.”

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.

“ ‘ “But you trusted in your beauty, and played the prostitute because of your renown, and poured out your prostitution on everyone who passed by. It was his.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.

Inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this, judgment,

Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”

I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you walk upright.

I have also given you that which you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you for all your days.

Their eyes bulge with fat. Their minds pass the limits of conceit.

But as for those who turn away to their crooked ways, Yahweh will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.

The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

For to the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him who pleases God. This also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’ ”

“They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says Yahweh.

“For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.

Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles by the green trees on the high hills.

You will know that I am Yahweh, when their slain men are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered pleasant aroma to all their idols.

Then the presidents and the local governors sought to find occasion against Daniel as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion or fault, because he was faithful. There wasn’t any error or fault found in him.

I will tell my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry.” ’

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

He had possessions of flocks, possessions of herds, and a great household. The Philistines envied him.

Saul was even more afraid of David; and Saul was David’s enemy continually.

But he refused, and said, “I will not eat.” But his servants, together with the woman, constrained him; and he listened to their voice. So he arose from the earth and sat on the bed.

At the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, Yahweh’s house and the king’s house

I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me.

For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you.

I made myself great works. I built myself houses. I planted myself vineyards.

Then I said in my heart, “As it happens to the fool, so will it happen even to me; and why was I then more wise?” Then I said in my heart that this also is vanity.

For there is a man whose labor is with wisdom, with knowledge, and with skillfulness; yet he shall leave it for his portion to a man who has not labored for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

For all his days are sorrows, and his travail is grief; yes, even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

What profit has he who works in that in which he labors?

Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive.

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

For there are many words that create vanity. What does that profit man?

Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.

I returned and saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happen to them all.

Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

But the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy

When Solomon had finished the building of Yahweh’s house, the king’s house, and all Solomon’s desire which he was pleased to do,

all the storage cities that Solomon had, the cities for his chariots, the cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build for his pleasure in Jerusalem, and in Lebanon, and in all the land of his dominion.

Ahab came into his house sullen and angry because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” He laid himself down on his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

if my step has turned out of the way, if my heart walked after my eyes, if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Then I looked at all the works that my hands had worked, and at the labor that I had labored to do; and behold, all was vanity and a chasing after wind, and there was no profit under the sun.

So I hated life, because the work that is worked under the sun was grievous to me; for all is vanity and a chasing after wind.

Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

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.

a man to whom God gives riches, wealth, and honor, so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires, yet God gives him no power to eat of it, but an alien eats it. This is vanity, and it is an evil disease.

Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and 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 into judgment.

I was angry because of the iniquity of his covetousness and struck him. I hid myself and was angry; and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.

“For long ago I broke off your yoke, and burst your bonds. You said, ‘I will not serve;’ for on every high hill and under every green tree you bowed yourself, playing the prostitute.

You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.

Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.