11 Words of a preacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 Vanity of vanities, said the Preacher, Vanity of vanities: the whole 'is' vanity. 3 What advantage 'is' to man by all his labour that he laboureth at under the sun?
4 A generation is going, and a generation is coming, and the earth to the age is standing. 5 Also, the sun hath risen, and the sun hath gone in, and unto its place panting it is rising there. 6 Going unto the south, and turning round unto the north, turning round, turning round, the wind is going, and by its circuits the wind hath returned. 7 All the streams are going unto the sea, and the sea is not full; unto a place whither the streams are going, thither they are turning back to go. 8 All these things are wearying; a man is not able to speak, the eye is not satisfied by seeing, nor filled is the ear from hearing.
9 What 'is' that which hath been? it 'is' that which is, and what 'is' that which hath been done? it 'is' that which is done, and there is not an entirely new thing under the sun. 10 There is a thing of which 'one' saith: 'See this, it 'is' new!' already it hath been in the ages that were before us! 11 There is not a remembrance of former 'generations'; and also of the latter that are, there is no remembrance of them with those that are at the last.
12 I, a preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I have given my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom concerning all that hath been done under the heavens. It 'is' a sad travail God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it. 14 I have seen all the works that have been done under the sun, and lo, the whole 'is' vanity and vexation of spirit! 15 A crooked thing 'one' is not able to make straight, and a lacking thing is not able to be numbered. 16 I—I spake with my heart, saying, 'I, lo, I have magnified and added wisdom above every one who hath been before me at Jerusalem, and my heart hath seen abundantly wisdom and knowledge. 17 And I give my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I have known that even this 'is' vexation of spirit; 18 for, in abundance of wisdom 'is' abundance of sadness, and he who addeth knowledge addeth pain.'
21 I said in my heart, 'Pray, come, I try thee with mirth, and look thou on gladness;' and lo, even it 'is' vanity. 2 Of laughter I said, 'Foolish!' and of mirth, 'What 'is' this it is doing?' 3 I have sought in my heart to draw out with wine my appetite, (and my heart leading in wisdom), and to take hold on folly till that I see where 'is' this—the good to the sons of man of that which they do under the heavens, the number of the days of their lives. 4 I made great my works, I builded for me houses, I planted for me vineyards. 5 I made for me gardens and paradises, and I planted in them trees of every fruit. 6 I made for me pools of water, to water from them a forest shooting forth trees. 7 I got men-servants, and maid-servants, and sons of the house were to me; also, I had much substance—herd and flock—above all who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I gathered for me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces. I prepared for me men-singers and women-singers, and the luxuries of the sons of man—a wife and wives. 9 And I became great, and increased above every one who had been before me in Jerusalem; also, my wisdom stood with me. 10 And all that mine eyes asked I kept not back from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labour, and this hath been my portion, from all my labour, 11 and I have looked on all my works that my hands have done, and on the labour that I have laboured to do, and lo, the whole 'is' vanity and vexation of spirit, and there is no advantage under the sun!
12 And I turned to see wisdom, and madness, and folly, but what 'is' the man who cometh after the king? that which 'is' already—they have done it! 13 And I saw that there is an advantage to wisdom above folly, like the advantage of the light above the darkness. 14 The wise!—his eyes 'are' in his head, and the fool in darkness is walking, and I also knew that one event happeneth with them all; 15 and I said in my heart, 'As it happeneth with the fool, it happeneth also with me, and why am I then more wise?' And I spake in my heart, that also this 'is' vanity: 16 That there is no remembrance to the wise—with the fool—to the age, for that which 'is' already, 'in' the days that are coming is all forgotten, and how dieth the wise? with the fool!
17 And I have hated life, for sad to me 'is' the work that hath been done under the sun, for the whole 'is' vanity and vexation of spirit. 18 And I have hated all my labour that I labour at under the sun, because I leave it to a man who is after me. 19 And who knoweth whether he is wise or foolish? yet he doth rule over all my labour that I have laboured at, and that I have done wisely under the sun! this also 'is' vanity. 20 And I turned round to cause my heart to despair concerning all the labour that I laboured at under the sun. 21 For there is a man whose labour 'is' in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity, and to a man who hath not laboured therein he giveth it—his portion! Even this 'is' vanity and a great evil. 22 For what hath been to a man by all his labour, and by the thought of his heart that he laboured at under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrows, and his travail sadness; even at night his heart hath not lain down; this also 'is' vanity. 24 There is nothing good in a man who eateth, and hath drunk, and hath shewn his soul good in his labour. This also I have seen that it 'is' from the hand of God. 25 For who eateth and who hasteth out more than I? 26 For to a man who 'is' good before Him, He hath given wisdom, and knowledge, and joy; and to a sinner He hath given travail, to gather and to heap up, to give to the good before God. Even this 'is' vanity and vexation of spirit.
31 To everything—a season, and a time to every delight under the heavens: 2 A time to bring forth, And a time to die. A time to plant, And a time to eradicate the planted. 3 A time to slay, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up. 4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh. A time to mourn, And a time to skip. 5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to heap up stones. A time to embrace, And a time to be far from embracing. 6 A time to seek, And a time to destroy. A time to keep, And a time to cast away. 7 A time to rend, And a time to sew. A time to be silent, And a time to speak. 8 A time to love, And a time to hate. A time of war, And a time of peace. 9 What advantage hath the doer in that which he is labouring at? 10 I have seen the travail that God hath given to the sons of man to be humbled by it.
11 The whole He hath made beautiful in its season; also, that knowledge He hath put in their heart without which man findeth not out the work that God hath done from the beginning even unto the end. 12 I have known that there is no good for them except to rejoice and to do good during their life, 13 yea, even every man who eateth and hath drunk and seen good by all his labour, it 'is' a gift of God. 14 I have known that all that God doth is to the age, to it nothing is to be added, and from it nothing is to be withdrawn; and God hath wrought that they do fear before Him. 15 What is that which hath been? already it is, and that which 'is' to be hath already been, and God requireth that which is pursued.
16 And again, I have seen under the sun the place of judgment—there 'is' the wicked; and the place of righteousness—there 'is' the wicked. 17 I said in my heart, 'The righteous and the wicked doth God judge, for a time 'is' to every matter and for every work there.' 18 I said in my heart concerning the matter of the sons of man that God might cleanse them, so as to see that they themselves 'are' beasts. 19 For an event 'is to' the sons of man, and an event 'is to' the beasts, even one event 'is' to them; as the death of this, so 'is' the death of that; and one spirit 'is' to all, and the advantage of man above the beast is nothing, for the whole 'is' vanity. 20 The whole are going unto one place, the whole have been from the dust, and the whole are turning back unto the dust. 21 Who knoweth the spirit of the sons of man that is going up on high, and the spirit of the beast that is going down below to the earth? 22 And I have seen that there is nothing better than that man rejoice in his works, for it 'is' his portion; for who doth bring him in to look on that which is after him?
16 Again I say, may no one think me to be a fool; and if otherwise, even as a fool receive me, that I also a little may boast. 17 That which I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this the confidence of boasting; 18 since many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast: 19 for gladly do ye bear with the fools—being wise, 20 for ye bear, if any one is bringing you under bondage, if any one doth devour, if any one doth take away, if any one doth exalt himself, if any one on the face doth smite you; 21 in reference to dishonour I speak, how that we were weak, and in whatever any one is bold—in foolishness I say 'it'—I also am bold.
22 Hebrews are they? I also! Israelites are they? I also! seed of Abraham are they? I also! 23 ministrants of Christ are they?—as beside myself I speak—I more; in labours more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths many times; 24 from Jews five times forty 'stripes' save one I did receive; 25 thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice was I shipwrecked, a night and a day in the deep I have passed; 26 journeyings many times, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from kindred, perils from nations, perils in city, perils in wilderness, perils in sea, perils among false brethren; 27 in laboriousness and painfulness, in watchings many times, in hunger and thirst, in fastings many times, in cold and nakedness; 28 apart from the things without—the crowding upon me that is daily—the care of all the assemblies. 29 Who is infirm, and I am not infirm? who is stumbled, and I am not fired; 30 if to boast it behoveth 'me', of the things of my infirmity I will boast; 31 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—who is blessed to the ages—hath known that I do not lie!— 32 In Damascus the ethnarch of Aretas the king was watching the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me, 33 and through a window in a rope basket I was let down, through the wall, and fled out of his hands.
(Read 2 Corinthians 11:16-21)
It is the duty and practice of Christians to humble themselves, in obedience to the command and example of the Lord; yet prudence must direct in what it is needful to do things which we may do lawfully, even the speaking of what God has wrought for us, and in us, and by us. Doubtless here is reference to facts in which the character of the false apostles had been shown. It is astonishing to see how such men bring their followers into bondage, and how they take from them and insult them.
(Read 2 Corinthians 11:22-33)
The apostle gives an account of his labours and sufferings; not out of pride or vain-glory, but to the honour of God, who enabled him to do and suffer so much for the cause of Christ; and shows wherein he excelled the false apostles, who tried to lessen his character and usefulness. It astonishes us to reflect on this account of his dangers, hardships, and sufferings, and to observe his patience, perseverance, diligence, cheerfulness, and usefulness, in the midst of all these trials. See what little reason we have to love the pomp and plenty of this world, when this blessed apostle felt so much hardship in it. Our utmost diligence and services appear unworthy of notice when compared with his, and our difficulties and trials scarcely can be perceived. It may well lead us to inquire whether or not we really are followers of Christ. Here we may study patience, courage, and firm trust in God. Here we may learn to think less of ourselves; and we should ever strictly keep to truth, as in God's presence; and should refer all to his glory, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for evermore.
