Fear God
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. yTo draw near to zlisten is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 1 Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore alet your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.
4 bWhen you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you2 into sin, and do not say before the messenger3 that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and cwords grow many, dthere is vanity;4 but5 eGod is the one you must fear.
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 If you see in a province the foppression of the poor and the violation of gjustice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.6
10 He who loves money hwill not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 iThere is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 jAs he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and kshall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what lgain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to meat and drink and find enjoyment7 in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the nfew days of his life that God has given him, for this is his olot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given pwealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—qthis is the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
The Lord Surrounds His People
A Song of Ascents.
1 Those who gtrust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord hsurrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
4 iDo good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
jPeace be upon Israel!
The Light of the Gospel
1 Therefore, having this ministry rby the mercy of God,1 we do not slose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. tWe refuse to practice2 cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth uwe would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even vif our gospel is veiled, it is veiled wto those who are perishing. 4 In their case the xgod of this world has yblinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the zimage of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but aJesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your bservants3 for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, c“Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts dto give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Treasure in Jars of Clay
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 eWe are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 falways carrying in the body the death of Jesus, gso that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are halways being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So ideath is at work in us, but life in you.
13 Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, j“I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 kknowing that lhe who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and mbring us with you into his presence. 15 For nit is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self4 is wasting away, our oinner self is being prenewed day by day. 17 For qthis light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look rnot to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Our Heavenly Dwelling
1 For we know that if the stent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a thouse not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we ugroan, longing vto put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on5 we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a wguarantee.6
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for xwe walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and ywe would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For zwe must all appear before the ajudgment seat of Christ, so that beach one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, knowing the cfear of the Lord, we persuade others. But dwhat we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 eWe are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause fto boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward gappearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For hif we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died ifor all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for jall, that those who live might kno longer live for themselves but lfor him who for their sake died and was raised.
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one maccording to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a nnew creation.7 oThe old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ preconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling8 the world to himself, not qcounting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are rambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake she made him to be sin twho knew no sin, uso that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God vin vain. 2 For he says,
w“In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, xnow is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no yobstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God zwe commend ourselves in every way: aby great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the bpower of God; with the cweapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as ddying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet ealways rejoicing; as poor, yet making many frich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
11 We have spoken freely to you,9 Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12 You are not restricted by us, but gyou are restricted in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.
The Temple of the Living God
14 Do not be hunequally yoked with unbelievers. For iwhat partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or jwhat fellowship has light with darkness? 15 kWhat accord has Christ with Belial?10 Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For lwe are the temple of the living God; as God said,
m“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore ngo out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and oI will be a father to you,
and you shall be psons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
