The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I ^japplied my heart¹ to seek and to ^ksearch out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an ^lunhappy ^mbusiness that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity² and a ⁿstriving after wind.³

The Vanity of Toil

18 I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must ^oleave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from all the ^ptoil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For ^qall his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

24 ^rThere is nothing better for a person than that he should ^seat and drink and find enjoyment¹ in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God, 25 for apart from him² who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him God has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given the business of gathering and collecting, ^tonly to give to one who pleases God. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

A Psalm for giving thanks.

Put On the New Self

1 If then you have been ^draised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, ^eseated at the right hand of God. 2 ^fSet your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For ^gyou have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 ^hWhen Christ who is your¹ life appears, then you also will appear with him ⁱin glory.

5 ^jPut to death therefore what is earthly in you:² sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, ^kwhich is idolatry. 6 ^lOn account of these the wrath of God is coming.³ 7 ^mIn these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But ⁿnow you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 ^oDo not lie to one another, seeing that you have ^pput off the ^qold self⁴ with its practices 10 and have ^rput on the ^snew self, which is being ^trenewed in knowledge ^uafter the image of its creator. 11 Here there is ^vnot Greek and Jew, ^wcircumcised and uncircumcised, ^xbarbarian, Scythian, ^yslave,⁵ free; but Christ is all, and in all.

The Parable of the Rich Fool

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all ⁱcovetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, ^j“Soul, you have ample goods laid up ^kfor many years; relax, ^leat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ^m‘Fool! ⁿThis night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, ^owhose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up ^ptreasure for himself and is not ^qrich toward God.”