NKJV Bible in 365 Days
Death, Joy, and Remembering the Creator — June 22
Ecclesiastes 9-12
Ecclesiastes 9
1 For I [a] considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them. 365N 173.1
2 All things come alike to all: One event happens to the righteous and the wicked; To the [b] good, the clean, and the unclean; To him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As is the good, so is the sinner; He who takes an oath as he who fears an oath. 365N 173.2
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 365N 173.3
4 But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 365N 173.4
5 For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. 365N 173.5
6 Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. 365N 173.6
7 Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. 365N 173.7
8 Let your garments always be white, And let your head lack no oil. 365N 173.8
9 [c] Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun. 365N 173.9
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. 365N 173.10
11 I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. 365N 173.11
12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them. 365N 173.12
13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 365N 173.13
14 There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great [d] snares around it. 365N 173.14
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. 365N 173.15
16 Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard. 365N 173.16
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. 365N 173.17
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.” 365N 173.18
Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead [a] flies [b] putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. 365N 173.19
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left. 365N 173.20
3 Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool. 365N 173.21
4 If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation [c] pacifies great offenses. 365N 173.22
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler: 365N 173.23
6 Folly is set in [d] great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. 365N 173.24
7 I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. 365N 173.25
8 He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. 365N 173.26
9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be endangered by it. 365N 173.27
10 If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom [e] brings success. 365N 173.28
11 A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The [f] babbler is no different. 365N 173.29
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; 365N 173.30
13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. 365N 173.31
14 A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him? 365N 173.32
15 The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city! 365N 173.33
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! 365N 173.34
17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time— For strength and not for drunkenness! 365N 173.35
18 Because of laziness the [g] building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. 365N 173.36
19 A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. 365N 173.37
20 Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter. 365N 173.38
Ecclesiastes 11
1 Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. 365N 173.39
2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth. 365N 173.40
3 If the clouds are full of rain, They empty themselves upon the earth; And if a tree falls to the south or the north, In the place where the tree falls, there it shall lie. 365N 173.41
4 He who observes the wind will not sow, And he who regards the clouds will not reap. 365N 173.42
5 As you do not know what is the way of the [a] wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything. 365N 173.43
6 In the morning sow your seed, And in the evening do not withhold your hand; For you do not know which will prosper, Either this or that, Or whether both alike will be good. 365N 173.44
7 Truly the light is sweet, And it is pleasant for the eyes to behold the sun; 365N 173.45
8 But if a man lives many years And rejoices in them all, Yet let him remember the days of darkness, For they will be many. All that is coming is vanity. 365N 173.46
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the [b] ways of your heart, And [c] in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. 365N 173.47
10 Therefore remove [d] sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood and [e] youth are vanity. 365N 173.48
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the [a] difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”: 365N 173.49
2 While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain; 365N 173.50
3 In the day when the keepers of the house tremble, And the strong men bow down; When the grinders cease because they are few, And those that look through the windows grow dim; 365N 173.51
4 When the doors are shut in the streets, And the sound of grinding is low; When one rises up at the sound of a bird, And all the daughters of music are brought low. 365N 173.52
5 Also they are afraid of height, And of terrors in the way; When the almond tree blossoms, The grasshopper is a burden, And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about the streets. 365N 173.53
6 Remember your Creator before the silver cord is [b] loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well. 365N 173.54
7 Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it. 365N 173.55
8 “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “All is vanity.” 365N 173.56
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set [c] in order many proverbs. 365N 173.57
10 The Preacher sought to find [d] acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. 365N 173.58
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of [e] scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. 365N 173.59
12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. 365N 173.60
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. 365N 173.61
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. 365N 173.62