Evil Under the Sun
1 oAgain I saw all the poppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead qmore fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 rBut better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
4 Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man’s envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity1 and a sstriving after wind.
5 The fool tfolds his hands and eats his own flesh.
6 uBetter is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.
7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his veyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an wunhappy business.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
13 Better was a xpoor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice. 14 For he went from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. 15 I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that2 youth who was to stand in the king’s3 place. 16 There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you aa little longer, and then I am bgoing to him who sent me. 34 cYou will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? dDoes he intend to go to ethe Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean fby saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37 gOn the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, h“If anyone thirsts, let him icome to me and drink. 38 Whoever jbelieves in me, as1 the Scripture has said, k‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of lliving water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were mto receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, nbecause Jesus was not yet oglorified.
Division Among the People
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, p“This really is qthe Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, r“Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 sHas not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the toffspring of David, and comes ufrom Bethlehem, vthe village where David was?” 43 So there was a wdivision among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, x“No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been ydeceived? 48 zHave any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, awho had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
[The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]2
The Woman Caught in Adultery
[[53 They went each to his own house,
