Ecclesiastes 8:16

Commit your way to Yahweh. Trust also in him, and he will do this:

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

Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

I have seen the burden which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.

Yes, he loves the people. All his saints are in your hand. They sat down at your feet. Each receives your words.

but man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding,

Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied; and a man’s eyes are never satisfied.

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?

All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

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?

For man also doesn’t know his time. As the fish that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly on them.

You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”

Man sets an end to darkness, and searches out, to the furthest bound, the stones of obscurity and of thick darkness.

In peace I will both lay myself down and sleep, for you, Yahweh alone, make me live in safety.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and don’t withhold.

for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

All things are full of weariness beyond uttering. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

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

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.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

There is a vanity which is done on the earth, that there are righteous men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked. Again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

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?

“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you.”

Yahweh God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

At noon, Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is deep in thought, or he has gone somewhere, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”

in whose hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

“Surely every man walks like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up, and doesn’t know who shall gather.

So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

I will walk in liberty, for I have sought your precepts.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late, eating the bread of toil, for he gives sleep to his loved ones.

Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to the words of knowledge.

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

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.

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.

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

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy on men:

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.

I have also seen wisdom under the sun in this way, and it seemed great to me.

Woe to those who join house to house, who lay field to field, until there is no room, and you are made to dwell alone in the middle of the land!

Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers won’t be hidden any more, but your eyes will see your teachers;

Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, isn’t the Father’s, but is the world’s.

This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.”

Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to 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.”

“Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel.”

You will be secure, because there is hope. Yes, you will search, and will take your rest in safety.

They lie all night naked without clothing, and have no covering in the cold.

I laid myself down and slept. I awakened; for Yahweh sustains me.

Bow down your ear to me. Deliver me speedily. Be to me a strong rock, a house of defense to save me.

My mouth will speak words of wisdom. My heart will utter understanding.

So that your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

so as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

My son, don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:

Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness, and defies all sound judgment.

Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good.

She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.

For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

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 is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

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.

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

All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt.

For all this I laid to my heart, even to explore all this: that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God; whether it is love or hatred, man doesn’t know it; all is before them.

Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

On this I awakened, and saw; and my sleep was sweet to me.

Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He will have no one to sit on David’s throne. His dead body will be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost.

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again.

Remember your leaders, men who spoke to you the word of God, and considering the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.