Ecclesiastes 9:12

“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.

Yahweh says, “I have answered you in an acceptable time. I have helped you in a day of salvation. I will preserve you and give you for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritage,

Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

having a good conscience. Thus, while you are spoken against as evildoers, they may be disappointed who curse your good way of life in Christ.

For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

Our soul has escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare. The snare is broken, and we have escaped.

He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy.

As the partridge that sits on eggs which she has not laid, so is he who gets riches, and not by right. In the middle of his days, they will leave him. At his end, he will be a fool.

Having regard for honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report: if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, think about these things.

For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

But these speak evil of whatever things they don’t know. They are destroyed in these things that they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason.

but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy.

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

and shall tell them, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “Even so I will break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, that can’t be made whole again. They will bury in Topheth, until there is no place to bury.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and may have need of nothing.

A sound of terrors is in his ears. In prosperity the destroyer will come on him.

There will dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur will be scattered on his habitation.

For what is the hope of the godless, when he is cut off, when God takes away his life?

He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”

Let destruction come on him unawares. Let his net that he has hidden catch himself. Let him fall into that destruction.

But as for me, my prayer is to you, Yahweh, in an acceptable time. God, in the abundance of your loving kindness, answer me in the truth of your salvation.

nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Let burning coals fall on them. Let them be thrown into the fire, into miry pits, from where they never rise.

Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.

Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.

for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity.

An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.

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

Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness he will deal wrongfully, and will not see Yahweh’s majesty.

But you, Yahweh, know me. You see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

I will enter into judgment with him with pestilence and with blood. I will rain on him, and on his hordes, and on the many peoples who are with him, an overflowing shower, with great hailstones, fire, and sulfur.

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.

But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

You foolish ones, didn’t he who made the outside make the inside also?

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.

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world,

desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

Moreover he must have good testimony from those who are outside, to avoid falling into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.

and soundness of speech that can’t be condemned, that he who opposes you may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say about us.

but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior;

he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.

Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky.

So Yahweh sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning even to the appointed time; and seventy thousand men died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba.

But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand men who were left. Ben Hadad fled, and came into the city, into an inner room.

to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine.

How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

For in Yahweh’s hand there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs.

For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly pestilence.

Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

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

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

But the multitude of your foes will be like fine dust, and the multitude of the ruthless ones like chaff that blows away. Yes, it will be in an instant, suddenly.

While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from the sky, saying, “O king Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: ‘The kingdom has departed from you.

A prophet watches over Ephraim with my God. A fowler’s snare is on all of his paths, and hostility in the house of his God.

Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth, where no snare is set for him? Does a snare spring up from the ground, when there is nothing to catch?

“Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

and will dash you and your children within you to the ground. They will not leave in you one stone on another, because you didn’t know the time of your visitation.”

Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men.

for kings and all who are in high places, that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.

Therefore Yahweh’s word will be to them precept on precept, precept on precept; line on line, line on line; here a little, there a little; that they may go, fall backward, be broken, be snared, and be taken.

After the piece of bread, then Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”

For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape.

who will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

They will come out after us until we have drawn them away from the city; for they will say, ‘They flee before us, like the first time.’ So we will flee before them,

When the king of Ai saw it, they hurried and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at the time appointed, before the Arabah; but he didn’t know that there was an ambush against him behind the city.

Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell on the lords, and on all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than those who he killed in his life.

Ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel came over against Gibeah, and the battle was severe; but they didn’t know that disaster was close to them.

Then she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. The singers also played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and said, “Treason! treason!”

It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,

On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death came on me.

They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil. In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

But man, despite his riches, doesn’t endure. He is like the animals that perish.

Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy.

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?

Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly in an instant.

I have laid a snare for you, and you are also taken, Babylon, and you weren’t aware. You are found, and also caught, because you have fought against Yahweh.

I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed against me.

The Lord Yahweh says: “I will spread out my net on you with a company of many peoples; and they will bring you up in my net.

When they go, I will spread my net on them. I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard.

Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

“But God said to him, ‘You foolish one, tonight your soul is required of you. The things which you have prepared—whose will they be?’

But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into.

For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth.

for he says, “At an acceptable time I listened to you. In a day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.

and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to his will.

having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation.

But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,