September 5th - Day 248

Ecclesiastes 10-12:14

Ecclesiastes 10

1 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,

but the heart of the fool to the left.

3 Even as he walks along the road,

the fool lacks sense

and shows everyone how stupid he is.

4 If a ruler's anger rises against you,

do not leave your post;

calmness can lay great errors to rest.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,

the sort of error that arises from a ruler:

6 Fools are put in many high positions,

while the rich occupy the low ones.

7 I have seen slaves on horseback,

while princes go on foot like slaves.

8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;

whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;

whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.

10 If the ax is dull

and its edge unsharpened,

more strength is needed

but skill will bring success.

11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,

there is no profit for the charmer.

12 Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious,

but a fool is consumed by his own lips.

13 At the beginning his words are folly;

at the end they are wicked madness-

14 and the fool multiplies words.

No one knows what is coming—

who can tell him what will happen after him?

15 A fool's work wearies him;

he does not know the way to town.

16 Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant [a]

and whose princes feast in the morning.

17 Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth

and whose princes eat at a proper time—

for strength and not for drunkenness.

18 If a man is lazy, the rafters sag;

if his hands are idle, the house leaks.

19 A feast is made for laughter,

and wine makes life merry,

but money is the answer for everything.

20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,

or curse the rich in your bedroom,

because a bird of the air may carry your words,

and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

Ecclesiastes 11

Bread Upon the Waters

1 Cast your bread upon the waters,

for after many days you will find it again.

2 Give portions to seven, yes to eight,

for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

3 If clouds are full of water,

they pour rain upon the earth.

Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,

in the place where it falls, there will it lie.

4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;

whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.

5 As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed [b] in a mother's womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.

6 Sow your seed in the morning,

and at evening let not your hands be idle,

for you do not know which will succeed,

whether this or that,

or whether both will do equally well.

Remember Your Creator While Young

7 Light is sweet,

and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.

8 However many years a man may live,

let him enjoy them all.

But let him remember the days of darkness,

for they will be many.

Everything to come is meaningless.

9 Be happy, young man, while you are young,

and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.

Follow the ways of your heart

and whatever your eyes see,

but know that for all these things

God will bring you to judgment.

10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart

and cast off the troubles of your body,

for youth and vigor are meaningless.

Ecclesiastes 12

1 Remember your Creator

in the days of your youth,

before the days of trouble come

and the years approach when you will say,

"I find no pleasure in them"-

2 before the sun and the light

and the moon and the stars grow dark,

and the clouds return after the rain;

3 when the keepers of the house tremble,

and the strong men stoop,

when the grinders cease because they are few,

and those looking through the windows grow dim;

4 when the doors to the street are closed

and the sound of grinding fades;

when men rise up at the sound of birds,

but all their songs grow faint;

5 when men are afraid of heights

and of dangers in the streets;

when the almond tree blossoms

and the grasshopper drags himself along

and desire no longer is stirred.

Then man goes to his eternal home

and mourners go about the streets.

6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,

or the golden bowl is broken;

before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,

or the wheel broken at the well,

7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,

and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

8 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. [c]

"Everything is meaningless!"

The Conclusion of the Matter

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

13 Now all has been heard;

here is the conclusion of the matter:

Fear God and keep his commandments,

for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,

including every hidden thing,

whether it is good or evil.

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or king is a child
   
2. Ecclesiastes 11:5 Or know how life (or the spirit ) / enters the body being formed
   
3. Ecclesiastes 12:8 Or the leader of the assembly ; also in verses 9 and 10

2 Corinthians 8:1-15



2 Corinthians 8

Generosity Encouraged

1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.

13Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, 15as it is written: "He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little."[b]

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 8:7 Some manuscripts in our love for you
   
2. 2 Corinthians 8:15 Exodus 16:18

Psalm 49:1-20



Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Hear this, all you peoples;

listen, all who live in this world,

2 both low and high,

rich and poor alike:

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;

the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;

with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come,

when wicked deceivers surround me-

6 those who trust in their wealth

and boast of their great riches?

7 No man can redeem the life of another

or give to God a ransom for him-

8 the ransom for a life is costly,

no payment is ever enough-

9 that he should live on forever

and not see decay.

10 For all can see that wise men die;

the foolish and the senseless alike perish

and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their tombs will remain their houses [a] forever,

their dwellings for endless generations,

though they had [b] named lands after themselves.

12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;

he is [c] like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,

and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

Selah

14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave, [d]

and death will feed on them.

The upright will rule over them in the morning;

their forms will decay in the grave, [e]

far from their princely mansions.

15 But God will redeem my life [f] from the grave;

he will surely take me to himself.

Selah

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,

when the splendor of his house increases;

17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,

his splendor will not descend with him.

18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—

and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,

who will never see the light of life .

20 A man who has riches without understanding

is like the beasts that perish.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
   
2. Psalm 49:11 Or / for they have
   
3. Psalm 49:12 Hebrew; Septuagint and Syriac read verse 12 the same as verse 20.
   
4. Psalm 49:14 Hebrew Sheol ; also in verse 15
   
5. Psalm 49:14 Hebrew Sheol ; also in verse 15
   
6. Psalm 49:15 Or soul

Proverbs 22:20-21



20 Have I not written thirty [a] sayings for you,

sayings of counsel and knowledge,

21 teaching you true and reliable words,

so that you can give sound answers

to him who sent you?

September 4th - Day 247

Ecclesiastes 7-9:18

Ecclesiastes 7

Wisdom

1 A good name is better than fine perfume,

and the day of death better than the day of birth.

2 It is better to go to a house of mourning

than to go to a house of feasting,

for death is the destiny of every man;

the living should take this to heart.

3 Sorrow is better than laughter,

because a sad face is good for the heart.

4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,

but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

5 It is better to heed a wise man's rebuke

than to listen to the song of fools.

6 Like the crackling of thorns under the pot,

so is the laughter of fools.

This too is meaningless.

7 Extortion turns a wise man into a fool,

and a bribe corrupts the heart.

8 The end of a matter is better than its beginning,

and patience is better than pride.

9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit,

for anger resides in the lap of fools.

10 Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?"

For it is not wise to ask such questions.

11 Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing

and benefits those who see the sun.

12 Wisdom is a shelter

as money is a shelter,

but the advantage of knowledge is this:

that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.

13 Consider what God has done:

Who can straighten

what he has made crooked?

14 When times are good, be happy;

but when times are bad, consider:

God has made the one

as well as the other.

Therefore, a man cannot discover

anything about his future.

15 In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:

a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,

and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

16 Do not be overrighteous,

neither be overwise—

why destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overwicked,

and do not be a fool—

why die before your time?

18 It is good to grasp the one

and not let go of the other.

The man who fears God will avoid all extremes . [a]

19 Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful

than ten rulers in a city.

20 There is not a righteous man on earth

who does what is right and never sins.

21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,

or you may hear your servant cursing you-

22 for you know in your heart

that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

"I am determined to be wise"—

but this was beyond me.

24 Whatever wisdom may be,

it is far off and most profound—

who can discover it?

25 So I turned my mind to understand,

to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things

and to understand the stupidity of wickedness

and the madness of folly.

26 I find more bitter than death

the woman who is a snare,

whose heart is a trap

and whose hands are chains.

The man who pleases God will escape her,

but the sinner she will ensnare.

27 "Look," says the Teacher, [b] "this is what I have discovered:

"Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things-

28 while I was still searching

but not finding—

I found one upright man among a thousand,

but not one upright woman among them all.

29 This only have I found:

God made mankind upright,

but men have gone in search of many schemes."

Ecclesiastes 8

1 Who is like the wise man?

Who knows the explanation of things?

Wisdom brightens a man's face

and changes its hard appearance.

Obey the King

2 Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?"

5 Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm,

and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure.

6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,

though a man's misery weighs heavily upon him.

7 Since no man knows the future,

who can tell him what is to come?

8 No man has power over the wind to contain it [c] ;

so no one has power over the day of his death.

As no one is discharged in time of war,

so wickedness will not release those who practice it.

9 All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is a time when a man lords it over others to his own [d] hurt. 10 Then too, I saw the wicked buried—those who used to come and go from the holy place and receive praise [e] in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.

11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. 12 Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God. 13 Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow.

14 There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, and wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. 15 So I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany him in his work all the days of the life God has given him under the sun.

16 When I applied my mind to know wisdom and to observe man's labor on earth—his eyes not seeing sleep day or night- 17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

Ecclesiastes 9

A Common Destiny for All

1 So I reflected on all this and concluded that the righteous and the wise and what they do are in God's hands, but no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. 2 All share a common destiny—the righteous and the wicked, the good and the bad, [f] the clean and the unclean, those who offer sacrifices and those who do not.

As it is with the good man,

so with the sinner;

as it is with those who take oaths,

so with those who are afraid to take them.

3 This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead. 4 Anyone who is among the living has hope [g] —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

5 For the living know that they will die,

but the dead know nothing;

they have no further reward,

and even the memory of them is forgotten.

6 Their love, their hate

and their jealousy have long since vanished;

never again will they have a part

in anything that happens under the sun.

7 Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. 8 Always be clothed in white, and always anoint your head with oil. 9 Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun— all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, [h] where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

11 I have seen something else under the sun:

The race is not to the swift

or the battle to the strong,

nor does food come to the wise

or wealth to the brilliant

or favor to the learned;

but time and chance happen to them all.

12 Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come:

As fish are caught in a cruel net,

or birds are taken in a snare,

so men are trapped by evil times

that fall unexpectedly upon them.

Wisdom Better Than Folly

13 I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.

17 The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded

than the shouts of a ruler of fools.

18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner destroys much good.

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 7:18 Or will follow them both
   
2. Ecclesiastes 7:27 Or leader of the assembly
   
3. Ecclesiastes 8:8 Or over his spirit to retain it
   
4. Ecclesiastes 8:9 Or to their
   
5. Ecclesiastes 8:10 Some Hebrew manuscripts and Septuagint (Aquila most Hebrew manuscripts and are forgotten
   
6. Ecclesiastes 9:2 Septuagint (Aquila), Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew does not have and the bad .
   
7. Ecclesiastes 9:4 Or What then is to be chosen? With all who live, there is hope
   
8. Ecclesiastes 9:10 Hebrew Sheol

2 Corinthians 7:8-16



8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. 12So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did the wrong or of the injured party, but rather that before God you could see for yourselves how devoted to us you are. 13By all this we are encouraged.

In addition to our own encouragement, we were especially delighted to see how happy Titus was, because his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. 14I had boasted to him about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. 15And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling. 16I am glad I can have complete confidence in you.

Psalm 48:1-14



Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,

in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

2 It is beautiful in its loftiness,

the joy of the whole earth.

Like the utmost heights of Zaphon [a] is Mount Zion,

the [b] city of the Great King.

3 God is in her citadels;

he has shown himself to be her fortress.

4 When the kings joined forces,

when they advanced together,

5 they saw her and were astounded;

they fled in terror.

6 Trembling seized them there,

pain like that of a woman in labor.

7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish

shattered by an east wind.

8 As we have heard,

so have we seen

in the city of the LORD Almighty,

in the city of our God:

God makes her secure forever.

Selah

9 Within your temple, O God,

we meditate on your unfailing love.

10 Like your name, O God,

your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;

your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11 Mount Zion rejoices,

the villages of Judah are glad

because of your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,

count her towers,

13 consider well her ramparts,

view her citadels,

that you may tell of them to the next generation.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;

he will be our guide even to the end.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 48:2 Zaphon can refer to a sacred mountain or the direction north.
   
2. Psalm 48:2 Or earth, / Mount Zion, on the northern side / of the

Proverbs 22:17-19



Sayings of the Wise

17 Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;

apply your heart to what I teach,

18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

and have all of them ready on your lips.

19 So that your trust may be in the LORD,

I teach you today, even you.

September 3rd - Day 246

Ecclesiastes 4-6:12

Ecclesiastes 4

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness

1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:

I saw the tears of the oppressed—

and they have no comforter;

power was on the side of their oppressors—

and they have no comforter.

2 And I declared that the dead,

who had already died,

are happier than the living,

who are still alive.

3 But better than both

is he who has not yet been,

who has not seen the evil

that is done under the sun.

4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

5 The fool folds his hands

and ruins himself.

6 Better one handful with tranquillity

than two handfuls with toil

and chasing after the wind.

7 Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:

8 There was a man all alone;

he had neither son nor brother.

There was no end to his toil,

yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.

"For whom am I toiling," he asked,

"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"

This too is meaningless—

a miserable business!

9 Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their work:

10 If one falls down,

his friend can help him up.

But pity the man who falls

and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Advancement Is Meaningless

13 Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning. 14 The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. 15 I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. 16 There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 5

Stand in Awe of God

1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

2 Do not be quick with your mouth,

do not be hasty in your heart

to utter anything before God.

God is in heaven

and you are on earth,

so let your words be few.

3 As a dream comes when there are many cares,

so the speech of a fool when there are many words.

4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.

Riches Are Meaningless

8 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

10 Whoever loves money never has money enough;

whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.

This too is meaningless.

11 As goods increase,

so do those who consume them.

And what benefit are they to the owner

except to feast his eyes on them?

12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,

whether he eats little or much,

but the abundance of a rich man

permits him no sleep.

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,

14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,

so that when he has a son

there is nothing left for him.

15 Naked a man comes from his mother's womb,

and as he comes, so he departs.

He takes nothing from his labor

that he can carry in his hand.

16 This too is a grievous evil:

As a man comes, so he departs,

and what does he gain,

since he toils for the wind?

17 All his days he eats in darkness,

with great frustration, affliction and anger.

18 Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him—for this is his lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 6

1 I have seen another evil under the sun, and it weighs heavily on men: 2 God gives a man wealth, possessions and honor, so that he lacks nothing his heart desires, but God does not enable him to enjoy them, and a stranger enjoys them instead. This is meaningless, a grievous evil.

3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man- 6 even if he lives a thousand years twice over but fails to enjoy his prosperity. Do not all go to the same place?

7 All man's efforts are for his mouth,

yet his appetite is never satisfied.

8 What advantage has a wise man

over a fool?

What does a poor man gain

by knowing how to conduct himself before others?

9 Better what the eye sees

than the roving of the appetite.

This too is meaningless,

a chasing after the wind.

10 Whatever exists has already been named,

and what man is has been known;

no man can contend

with one who is stronger than he.

11 The more the words,

the less the meaning,

and how does that profit anyone?

12 For who knows what is good for a man in life, during the few and meaningless days he passes through like a shadow? Who can tell him what will happen under the sun after he is gone?

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:7



Do Not Be Yoked With Unbelievers

14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[a]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."[b]

17"Therefore come out from them

and be separate, says the Lord.

Touch no unclean thing,

and I will receive you."[c]

18"I will be a Father to you,

and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."[d]

2 Corinthians 7

1Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

Paul's Joy

2Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you. 4I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.

5For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 Greek Beliar, a variant of Belial
   
2. 2 Corinthians 6:16 Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27
   
3. 2 Corinthians 6:17 Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41
   
4. 2 Corinthians 6:18 2 Samuel 7:14; 7:8

Psalm 47:1-9



Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Clap your hands, all you nations;

shout to God with cries of joy.

2 How awesome is the LORD Most High,

the great King over all the earth!

3 He subdued nations under us,

peoples under our feet.

4 He chose our inheritance for us,

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

Selah

5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,

the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7 For God is the King of all the earth;

sing to him a psalm [a] of praise.

8 God reigns over the nations;

God is seated on his holy throne.

9 The nobles of the nations assemble

as the people of the God of Abraham,

for the kings [b] of the earth belong to God;

he is greatly exalted.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 47:7 Or a maskil (probably a literary or musical term)
   
2. Psalm 47:9 Or shields

Proverbs 22:16



16 He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth

and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.

September 2nd - Day 245

Ecclesiastes 1-3:22



Ecclesiastes 1

Everything Is Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher, [a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:

2 "Meaningless! Meaningless!"

says the Teacher.

"Utterly meaningless!

Everything is meaningless."

3 What does man gain from all his labor

at which he toils under the sun?

4 Generations come and generations go,

but the earth remains forever.

5 The sun rises and the sun sets,

and hurries back to where it rises.

6 The wind blows to the south

and turns to the north;

round and round it goes,

ever returning on its course.

7 All streams flow into the sea,

yet the sea is never full.

To the place the streams come from,

there they return again.

8 All things are wearisome,

more than one can say.

The eye never has enough of seeing,

nor the ear its fill of hearing.

9 What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again;

there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which one can say,

"Look! This is something new"?

It was here already, long ago;

it was here before our time.

11 There is no remembrance of men of old,

and even those who are yet to come

will not be remembered

by those who follow.

Wisdom Is Meaningless

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

15 What is twisted cannot be straightened;

what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge." 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.

18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;

the more knowledge, the more grief.

Ecclesiastes 2

Pleasures Are Meaningless

1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem [b] as well—the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.

10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;

I refused my heart no pleasure.

My heart took delight in all my work,

and this was the reward for all my labor.

11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done

and what I had toiled to achieve,

everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;

nothing was gained under the sun.

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless

12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom,

and also madness and folly.

What more can the king's successor do

than what has already been done?

13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly,

just as light is better than darkness.

14 The wise man has eyes in his head,

while the fool walks in the darkness;

but I came to realize

that the same fate overtakes them both.

15 Then I thought in my heart,

"The fate of the fool will overtake me also.

What then do I gain by being wise?"

I said in my heart,

"This too is meaningless."

16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered;

in days to come both will be forgotten.

Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

Toil Is Meaningless

17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless.

24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.

15 Whatever is has already been,

and what will be has been before;

and God will call the past to account. [c]

16 And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

in the place of justice—wickedness was there.

17 I thought in my heart,

"God will bring to judgment

both the righteous and the wicked,

for there will be a time for every activity,

a time for every deed."

18 I also thought, "As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. 19 Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath [d] ; man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. 20 All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward and if the spirit of the animal [e] goes down into the earth?"

22 So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Footnotes:

1. Ecclesiastes 1:1 Or leader of the assembly ; also in verses 2 and 12
   
2. Ecclesiastes 2:8 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
   
3. Ecclesiastes 3:15 Or God calls back the past
   
4. Ecclesiastes 3:19 Or spirit
   
5. Ecclesiastes 3:21 Or Who knows the spirit of man, which rises upward, or the spirit of the animal, which

2 Corinthians 6:1-13



2 Corinthians 6

1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says,

"In the time of my favor I heard you,

and in the day of salvation I helped you."[a] I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Paul's Hardships

3We put no stumbling block in anyone's path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

11We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 12We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 13As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 6:2 Isaiah 49:8

Psalm 46:1-11



Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. [a]

1 God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,

he burns the shields [b] with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Selah

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 46:1 Title: Probably a musical term
   
2. Psalm 46:9 Or chariots

Proverbs 22:15



15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

September 1st - Day 244

Job 40-42:17



Job 40

1 The LORD said to Job:

2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him?

Let him who accuses God answer him!"

3 Then Job answered the LORD :

4 "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?

I put my hand over my mouth.

5 I spoke once, but I have no answer—

twice, but I will say no more."

6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:

7 "Brace yourself like a man;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.

8 "Would you discredit my justice?

Would you condemn me to justify yourself?

9 Do you have an arm like God's,

and can your voice thunder like his?

10 Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,

and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.

11 Unleash the fury of your wrath,

look at every proud man and bring him low,

12 look at every proud man and humble him,

crush the wicked where they stand.

13 Bury them all in the dust together;

shroud their faces in the grave.

14 Then I myself will admit to you

that your own right hand can save you.

15 "Look at the behemoth, [a]

which I made along with you

and which feeds on grass like an ox.

16 What strength he has in his loins,

what power in the muscles of his belly!

17 His tail [b] sways like a cedar;

the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.

18 His bones are tubes of bronze,

his limbs like rods of iron.

19 He ranks first among the works of God,

yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.

20 The hills bring him their produce,

and all the wild animals play nearby.

21 Under the lotus plants he lies,

hidden among the reeds in the marsh.

22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow;

the poplars by the stream surround him.

23 When the river rages, he is not alarmed;

he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.

24 Can anyone capture him by the eyes, [c]

or trap him and pierce his nose?

Job 41

1 "Can you pull in the leviathan [d] with a fishhook

or tie down his tongue with a rope?

2 Can you put a cord through his nose

or pierce his jaw with a hook?

3 Will he keep begging you for mercy?

Will he speak to you with gentle words?

4 Will he make an agreement with you

for you to take him as your slave for life?

5 Can you make a pet of him like a bird

or put him on a leash for your girls?

6 Will traders barter for him?

Will they divide him up among the merchants?

7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons

or his head with fishing spears?

8 If you lay a hand on him,

you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

9 Any hope of subduing him is false;

the mere sight of him is overpowering.

10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him.

Who then is able to stand against me?

11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?

Everything under heaven belongs to me.

12 "I will not fail to speak of his limbs,

his strength and his graceful form.

13 Who can strip off his outer coat?

Who would approach him with a bridle?

14 Who dares open the doors of his mouth,

ringed about with his fearsome teeth?

15 His back has [e] rows of shields

tightly sealed together;

16 each is so close to the next

that no air can pass between.

17 They are joined fast to one another;

they cling together and cannot be parted.

18 His snorting throws out flashes of light;

his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

19 Firebrands stream from his mouth;

sparks of fire shoot out.

20 Smoke pours from his nostrils

as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

21 His breath sets coals ablaze,

and flames dart from his mouth.

22 Strength resides in his neck;

dismay goes before him.

23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;

they are firm and immovable.

24 His chest is hard as rock,

hard as a lower millstone.

25 When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;

they retreat before his thrashing.

26 The sword that reaches him has no effect,

nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.

27 Iron he treats like straw

and bronze like rotten wood.

28 Arrows do not make him flee;

slingstones are like chaff to him.

29 A club seems to him but a piece of straw;

he laughs at the rattling of the lance.

30 His undersides are jagged potsherds,

leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

31 He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron

and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 Behind him he leaves a glistening wake;

one would think the deep had white hair.

33 Nothing on earth is his equal—

a creature without fear.

34 He looks down on all that are haughty;

he is king over all that are proud."

Job 42

Job

1 Then Job replied to the LORD :

2 "I know that you can do all things;

no plan of yours can be thwarted.

3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'

Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me to know.

4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;

I will question you,

and you shall answer me.'

5 My ears had heard of you

but now my eyes have seen you.

6 Therefore I despise myself

and repent in dust and ashes."

Epilogue

7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.

10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver [f] and a gold ring.

12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years.

Footnotes:

1. Job 40:15 Possibly the hippopotamus or the elephant
   
2. Job 40:17 Possibly trunk
   
3. Job 40:24 Or by a water hole
   
4. Job 41:1 Possibly the crocodile
   
5. Job 41:15 Or His pride is his
   
6. Job 42:11 Hebrew him a kesitah ; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.

2 Corinthians 5:11-21



The Ministry of Reconciliation

11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Footnotes:

1. 2 Corinthians 5:21 Or be a sin offering

Psalm 45:1-17



Psalm 45

For the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song. [a]

1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme

as I recite my verses for the king;

my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

2 You are the most excellent of men

and your lips have been anointed with grace,

since God has blessed you forever.

3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;

clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously

in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;

let your right hand display awesome deeds.

5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies;

let the nations fall beneath your feet.

6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.

8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;

from palaces adorned with ivory

the music of the strings makes you glad.

9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women;

at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:

Forget your people and your father's house.

11 The king is enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for he is your lord.

12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, [b]

men of wealth will seek your favor.

13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber ;

her gown is interwoven with gold.

14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king;

her virgin companions follow her

and are brought to you.

15 They are led in with joy and gladness;

they enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes throughout the land.

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;

therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 45:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
   
2. Psalm 45:12 Or A Tyrian robe is among the gifts

Proverbs 22:14



14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;

he who is under the LORD's wrath will fall into it.