‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:1‭-‬16‬ ‭MSG‬‬
[1-3] Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth. [4] Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind. [5] The fool sits back and takes it easy, His sloth is slow suicide. [6] One handful of peaceful repose Is better than two fistfuls of worried work— More spitting into the wind. [7-8] I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business. [9-10] It’s better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there’s no one to help, tough! [11] Two in a bed warm each other. Alone, you shiver all night. [12] By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped. * * * [13-16] A poor child with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn’t know which end is up. I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can’t you see it’s only smoke? And spitting into the wind?

https://bible.com/bible/97/ecc.4.1-3.MSG

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭3:1‭-‬22‬ ‭MSG‬‬
[1] There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: [2-8] A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace. [9-13] But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift. [14] I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear. [15] Whatever was, is. Whatever will be, is. That’s how it always is with God. [16-18] I took another good look at what’s going on: The very place of judgment—corrupt! The place of righteousness—corrupt! I said to myself, “God will judge righteous and wicked.” There’s a right time for every thing, every deed—and there’s no getting around it. I said to myself regarding the human race, “God’s testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals.” [19-22] Humans and animals come to the same end—humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there’s really no advantage in being human. None. Everything’s smoke. We all end up in the same place—we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth. So I made up my mind that there’s nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do—that’s our lot. Who knows if there’s anything else to life?

https://bible.com/bible/97/ecc.3.1.MSG

‭‭This is the last chapter of Proverbs. We\’ll start in Ecclesiastes in the next post of the day.

Proverbs‬ ‭31:1‭-‬31‬ ‭MSG‬‬
[1] The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him: [2-3] “Oh, son of mine, what can you be thinking of! Child whom I bore! The son I dedicated to God! Don’t dilute your strength on fortune-hunting women, promiscuous women who shipwreck leaders. [4-7] “Leaders can’t afford to make fools of themselves, gulping wine and swilling beer, Lest, hung over, they don’t know right from wrong, and the people who depend on them are hurt. Use wine and beer only as sedatives, to kill the pain and dull the ache Of the terminally ill, for whom life is a living death. [8-9] “Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the misfits. Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” [10-31] A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long. She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises. She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden. First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started. She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day. She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking. She’s quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor. She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear. She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks. Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers. She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile. When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly. She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive. Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise: “Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!” Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Adorn her life with praises!

https://bible.com/bible/97/pro.31.2-3.MSG

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29:1‭-‬27‬ ‭MSG‬‬
[1] For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, There’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it’ll be too late to help them. [2] When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans. [3] If you love wisdom, you’ll delight your parents, but you’ll destroy their trust if you run with prostitutes. [4] A leader of good judgment gives stability; an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste. [5] A flattering neighbor is up to no good; he’s probably planning to take advantage of you. [6] Evil people fall into their own traps; good people run the other way, glad to escape. [7] The good-hearted understand what it’s like to be poor; the hardhearted haven’t the faintest idea. [8] A gang of cynics can upset a whole city; a group of sages can calm everyone down. [9] A sage trying to work things out with a fool gets only scorn and sarcasm for his trouble. [10] Murderers hate honest people; moral folks encourage them. [11] A fool lets it all hang out; a sage quietly mulls it over. [12] When a leader listens to malicious gossip, all the workers get infected with evil. [13] The poor and their abusers have at least something in common: they can both see—their sight, God’s gift! [14] Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly. [15] Wise discipline imparts wisdom; spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents. [16] When degenerates take charge, crime runs wild, but the righteous will eventually observe their collapse. [17] Discipline your children; you’ll be glad you did— they’ll turn out delightful to live with. [18] If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. [19] It takes more than talk to keep workers in line; mere words go in one ear and out the other. [20] Observe the people who always talk before they think— even simpletons are better off than they are. [21] If you let people treat you like a doormat, you’ll be quite forgotten in the end. [22] Angry people stir up a lot of discord; the intemperate stir up trouble. [23] Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. [24] Befriend an outlaw and become an enemy to yourself. When the victims cry out, you’ll be included in their curses if you’re a coward to their cause in court. [25] The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that. [26] Everyone tries to get help from the leader, but only God will give us justice. [27] Good people can’t stand the sight of deliberate evil; the wicked can’t stand the sight of well-chosen goodness.

https://bible.com/bible/97/pro.29.1.MSG

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭28:1‭-‬28‬ ‭MSG‬‬
[1] The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off even when no one’s after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions. [2] When the country is in chaos, everybody has a plan to fix it— But it takes a leader of real understanding to straighten things out. [3] The wicked who oppress the poor are like a hailstorm that beats down the harvest. [4] If you desert God’s law, you’re free to embrace depravity; if you love God’s law, you fight for it tooth and nail. [5] Justice makes no sense to the evilminded; those who seek God know it inside and out. [6] It’s better to be poor and direct than rich and crooked. [7] Practice God’s law—get a reputation for wisdom; hang out with a loose crowd—embarrass your family. [8] Get as rich as you want through cheating and extortion, But eventually some friend of the poor is going to give it all back to them. [9] God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to him. [10] Lead good people down a wrong path and you’ll come to a bad end; do good and you’ll be rewarded for it. [11] The rich think they know it all, but the poor can see right through them. [12] When good people are promoted, everything is great, but when the bad are in charge, watch out! [13] You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them. [14] A tenderhearted person lives a blessed life; a hardhearted person lives a hard life. [15] Lions roar and bears charge— and the wicked lord it over the poor. [16] Among leaders who lack insight, abuse abounds, but for one who hates corruption, the future is bright. [17] A murderer haunted by guilt is doomed—there’s no helping him. [18] Walk straight—live well and be saved; a devious life is a doomed life. [19] Work your garden—you’ll end up with plenty of food; play and party—you’ll end up with an empty plate. [20] Committed and persistent work pays off; get-rich-quick schemes are ripoffs. [21] Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways. [22] A miser in a hurry to get rich doesn’t know that he’ll end up broke. [23] In the end, serious reprimand is appreciated far more than bootlicking flattery. [24] Anyone who robs father and mother and says, “So, what’s wrong with that?” is worse than a pirate. [25] A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in God brings a sense of well-being. [26] If you think you know it all, you’re a fool for sure; real survivors learn wisdom from others. [27] Be generous to the poor—you’ll never go hungry; shut your eyes to their needs, and run a gauntlet of curses. [28] When corruption takes over, good people go underground, but when the crooks are thrown out, it’s safe to come out.

https://bible.com/bible/97/pro.28.1.MSG