14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that ^sman may not find out ^tanything that will be after him.

15 In my ^uvain¹ life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and ^vthere is a wicked man who ^wprolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die ^xbefore your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who ^yfears God shall come out from both of them.

19 Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 ^zSurely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I have tested by ^awisdom. I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and deep, very deep; who can find it out?

25 I turned my heart to know and to ^bsearch out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of ^cfolly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more ^dbitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. ^eHe who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says the ^fPreacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

You Are of Your Father the Devil

39 They answered him, ^t“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. ^uThis is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. ^vWe have one Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, ^wyou would ^xlove me, for I came from God and I am here. ^yI came not of my own accord, but he sent me. 43 Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. 44 You are of ^zyour father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a ^amurderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and ^bthe father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? ^cIf I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 ^dWhoever is of God hears the words of God. ^eThe reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a ^fSamaritan and ^ghave a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet I do not ^hseek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and ⁱhe is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone ^jkeeps my word, ^khe will never see death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! ^lAbraham died, ^mas did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ 53 Are you greater ⁿthan our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you ^omake yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who ^pglorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’¹ 55 But you have not ^qknown him. ^rI know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a ^sliar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 Your father Abraham ^trejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”² 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^ubefore Abraham was, ^vI am.” 59 ^wSo ^xthey picked up stones to throw at him, ^ybut Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.