Daily Text and Bible Reading: Monday, July 28 [Press play below]

5.1 Watch your step whenever you go to the house of the true God; it is better to draw near to listen than to give a sacrifice as the stupid ones do, for they are not aware that what they are doing is bad.
5.2 Do not be quick with your mouth, nor let your heart speak rashly before the true God, for the true God is in the heavens but you are on the earth. That is why your words should be few.
5.3 For a dream comes from too many preoccupations, and the chatter of the stupid one comes from too many words.
5.4 Whenever you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it, for he finds no pleasure in the stupid ones. What you vow, pay.
5.5 Better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay.
5.6 Do not allow your mouth to cause you to sin, and do not say before the angel that it was a mistake. Why make the true God indignant over what you say so that he has to destroy the work of your hands?
5.7 For just as many preoccupations lead to dreams, so, too, many words lead to futility. But fear the true God.
5.8 If you see any oppression of the poor and a violation of justice and righteousness in your district, do not be surprised about the matter. For that high official is being watched by one who is higher than he is, and there are others who are still higher than they are.
5.9 Also, the profit of the land is divided among them all; even the king is served by the field.
5.10 A lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver, nor a lover of wealth with income. This too is futility.
5.11 When good things increase, those consuming them increase. And what advantage is it to the owner, except to look at them with his eyes?
5.12 Sweet is the sleep of the one serving, whether he eats little or much, but the plenty belonging to the rich one does not permit him to sleep.
5.13 There is a great tragedy that I have seen under the sun: riches that were hoarded by their owner to his own harm.
5.14 Those riches were lost because of a disastrous venture, and when he becomes a father to a son, he has nothing left in his possession.
5.15 Just as one came from his mother’s womb, naked he will go away, just as he came. And he cannot carry away anything for all his hard work.
5.16 This too is a great tragedy: Exactly as he came, so he will go away; and what profit is there to the one who keeps working hard for the wind?
5.17 Also, every day he eats in darkness, with a great deal of frustration and sickness and anger.
5.18 This is what I have seen to be good and proper: that one should eat and drink and find enjoyment for all the hard work at which he toils under the sun during the few days of life that the true God has given him, for that is his reward.
5.19 Also, when the true God gives a man riches and material possessions along with the ability to enjoy them, he should take his reward and rejoice in his hard work. This is the gift of God.
5.20 For he will hardly notice the passing days of his life, because the true God keeps him preoccupied with the rejoicing of his heart.

6.1 There is another tragedy that I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
6.2 The true God gives a man riches and material possessions and glory, so that he lacks nothing that he desires; yet the true God does not enable him to enjoy them, although a stranger may enjoy them. This is futility and a severe affliction.
6.3 If a man should become a father a hundred times and live for many years and reach old age, yet he does not enjoy his good things before he reaches the grave, I must say that a stillborn child is better off than he is.
6.4 For this one came in vain and went away in darkness, and his name is shrouded in darkness.
6.5 Even though he never saw the sun or knew anything, he is still better off than the former one.
6.6 What is the benefit of living a thousand years twice over but not experiencing enjoyment? Do not all go to the same place?
6.7 All the hard work of a man is to fill his mouth; yet his appetite is never satisfied.
6.8 For what advantage does the wise one have over the stupid one, or of what benefit is it that the poor man knows how to survive?
6.9 Better to enjoy what the eyes see than to wander after one’s desires. This too is futility, a chasing after the wind.
6.10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is; and he is not able to dispute with the one more powerful than he.
6.11 The more words, the more futility; and what advantage do they bring to man?
6.12 Who knows what is best for a man to do in life during the few days of his futile life, which he spends like a shadow? For who can tell man what will happen under the sun after he is gone?

7.1 A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death is better than the day of birth.
7.2 Better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting, for that is the end of every man, and the living should take it to heart.
7.3 Better is distress than laughter, for the sadness of the face makes the heart better.
7.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of the stupid is in the house of rejoicing.
7.5 Better to listen to a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools.
7.6 For as the crackling of thorns burning under the pot, so is the laughter of the fool; and this too is futility.
7.7 But oppression can drive the wise one into madness, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
7.8 Better is the end of a matter than its beginning. Better to be patient than to be haughty in spirit.
7.9 Do not be quick to take offense, for the taking of offense lodges in the bosom of fools.
7.10 Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” for it is not out of wisdom that you ask this.
7.11 Wisdom together with an inheritance is a good thing and an advantage to those who see the light of day.
7.12 For wisdom is a protection just as money is a protection, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.
7.13 Consider the work of the true God, for who can straighten out what he has made crooked?
7.14 On a good day, reflect this goodness, but on the day of adversity, consider that God made the one as well as the other, so that men cannot be certain of anything that will happen to them in the future.
7.15 During my futile life I have seen everything—from the righteous one who perishes in his righteousness to the wicked one who lives long despite his badness.
7.16 Do not be overly righteous, nor show yourself excessively wise. Why should you bring ruin to yourself?
7.17 Do not be excessively wicked, nor be foolish. Why should you die before your time?
7.18 It is best to grasp one warning without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God will heed them both.
7.19 Wisdom makes a wise man more powerful than ten strong men in a city.
7.20 For there is no righteous man on earth who always does good and never sins.
7.21 Also, do not take to heart every word that people say; otherwise, you may hear your servant calling down evil on you;
7.22 for you well know in your heart that many times you yourself have called down evil on others.
7.23 All of this I tested with wisdom, and I said: “I will become wise.” But it was beyond me.
7.24 What has come to be is out of reach and exceedingly deep. Who can understand it?
7.25 I directed my heart to know and to explore and to search for wisdom and the reason behind things, and to understand the wickedness of stupidity and the folly of madness.
7.26 Then I discovered this: More bitter than death is the woman who is like a hunter’s net, whose heart is like dragnets, and whose hands are like prison chains. The one who pleases the true God will escape her, but the sinner is captured by her.
7.27 “See, this is what I found,” says the congregator. “I investigated one thing after another to reach my conclusion,
7.28 but what I continually sought, I have not found. One man out of a thousand I found, but a woman among them I have not found.
7.29 This alone I have found: The true God made mankind upright, but they have sought out many schemes.”

8.1 Who is like the wise man? Who knows the solution to a problem? A man’s wisdom lights up his face and softens his stern appearance.
8.2 I say: “Obey the king’s orders out of regard for the oath to God.
8.3 Do not rush to depart from his presence. Do not take a stand for anything bad; for he can do whatever he pleases,
8.4 because the word of the king is absolute; who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’”
8.5 The one who observes the commandment will not experience harm, and the wise heart will know the right time and procedure.
8.6 For every matter there is a time and procedure, because the troubles of mankind are so abundant.
8.7 Since no one knows what will happen, who can tell him how it will happen?
8.8 Just as no man has power over the spirit or can restrain the spirit, so no one has power over the day of death. Just as no one is discharged during a war, so wickedness will not allow those who practice it to escape.
8.9 All of this I have seen, and I applied my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, during the time that man has dominated man to his harm.
8.10 And I saw the wicked being buried, those who used to go in and out of the holy place, but they were soon forgotten in the city where they acted that way. This too is futility.
8.11 Because sentence against a bad deed has not been executed speedily, the heart of men becomes emboldened to do bad.
8.12 Although a sinner may do bad a hundred times and still live a long time, yet I am aware that it will turn out well for those who fear the true God, because they fear him.
8.13 But it will not turn out well for the wicked one, nor will he prolong his days that are like a shadow, because he does not fear God.
8.14 There is something futile that takes place on the earth: There are righteous people who are treated as if they had acted wickedly, and there are wicked people who are treated as if they had acted righteously. I say that this too is futility.
8.15 So I recommended rejoicing, because there is nothing better for man under the sun than to eat and drink and rejoice; this should accompany him as he works hard during the days of his life, which the true God gives him under the sun.
8.16 I applied my heart to acquire wisdom and to see all the activity happening on the earth, even going without sleep day and night.
8.17 Then I considered all the work of the true God, and I realized that mankind cannot comprehend what happens under the sun. No matter how hard men try, they cannot comprehend it. Even if they claim that they are wise enough to know, they cannot really comprehend it.