All Is Vanity

1 The words of ^athe Preacher,¹ the son of David, ^bking in Jerusalem.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I ^othe Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I ^papplied my heart⁶ to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy ^qbusiness that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is ^rvanity⁷ and a striving after wind.⁸

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great ^twisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I ^uapplied my heart to know wisdom and to know ^vmadness and folly. I perceived that this also is but ^ra striving after wind.

The Vanity of Self-Indulgence

1 I ^xsaid in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity.⁹ 2 I ^ysaid of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I ^zsearched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on ^afolly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I ^bbuilt houses and planted ^cvineyards for myself. 5 I made myself ^dgardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had ^eslaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of ^fherds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and ^ggold and the treasure of ^hkings and ⁱprovinces. I got ^jsingers, both men and women, and many ^kconcubines,¹⁰ the delight of the sons of man.

9 So I became great and ^lsurpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my ^lwisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart ^mfound pleasure in all my toil, and this was my ⁿreward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was ^ovanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing ^pto be gained under the sun.

The Vanity of Living Wisely

12 ^qSo I turned to consider ^rwisdom and madness and folly. For what can the man do who comes after the king? Only ^swhat has already been done. 13 Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. 14 ^tThe wise person has his eyes in his head, but the fool walks in darkness. And yet I perceived that the ^usame event happens to all of them. 15 Then I said in my heart, ^v“What happens to the fool will happen to me also. Why then have I been so very wise?” And I said in my heart that this also is vanity. 16 For of the wise as of the fool there is ^wno enduring remembrance, seeing that in the days to come all will have been long forgotten. ^xHow the wise dies just like the fool! 17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for ^oall is vanity and a striving after wind.

The Vanity of Toil

18 I hated ^yall my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must ^zleave it to the man who will come after me, 19 and who knows whether he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. 20 So I ^aturned about and gave my heart up to despair ^bover all the toil of my labors under the sun, 21 because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. 22 What has a man from ^call the toil and striving of heart with which he toils beneath the sun? 23 For ^dall his days are full of sorrow, and his ^ework is a vexation. Even in the night his heart does not rest. This also is vanity.

24 ^fThere is nothing better for a person than that he should ^geat and drink and find enjoyment¹¹ in his toil. This also, I saw, is ^hfrom the hand of God, 25 for apart from him¹² who can eat or who can have enjoyment? 26 For to the one who pleases him ⁱGod has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, but to the sinner he has given ^ethe business of gathering and collecting, ^jonly to give to one who pleases God. ^kThis also is vanity and a striving after wind.

A Time for Everything

1 For everything there is a season, and ^la time for every matter under heaven:

The God-Given Task

9 What ^xgain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen ^ythe business that ^zGod has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has ^amade everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot ^bfind out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is ^cnothing better for them than to be joyful and to ^ddo good as long as they live; 13 also ^ethat everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is ^fGod’s gift to man.

14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; ^gnothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. 15 That which is, ^halready has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God ⁱseeks what has been driven away.¹³

From Dust to Dust

16 Moreover, ^jI saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even ^kthere was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, ^lGod will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is ^ma time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but ⁿbeasts. 19 ^oFor what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity.¹⁴ 20 All go to one place. All are from ^pthe dust, and to dust all return. 21 Who knows whether ^qthe spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? 22 So I saw that there is ^rnothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for ^sthat is his lot. Who can bring him to see ^twhat will be after him?

Who Can Stand Before You?

To the choirmaster: with ^cstringed instruments. A Psalm of ^dAsaph. A Song.

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, ⁿhe went out with his disciples across ^othe brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. 2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew ^pthe place, for ^qJesus often met there with his disciples. 3 ^rSo Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, ^sknowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, ^t“Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.”¹ Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 ^uWhen Jesus² said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 So he asked them again, ^t“Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go.” 9 ^vThis was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: “Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, ^whaving a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant³ and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; ^xshall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

Jesus Faces Annas and Caiaphas

12 So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews⁴ arrested Jesus and bound him. 13 First they ^yled him to ^zAnnas, for he was the father-in-law of ^aCaiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14 It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews ^bthat it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

15 ^cSimon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, 16 ^dbut Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. 17 ^eThe servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” 18 Now the servants⁵ and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. ^fPeter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 ^gThe high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. 20 Jesus answered him, “I have spoken ^hopenly ⁱto the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. ^jI have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” 22 When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, ^k“Is that how you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” 24 ^lAnnas then sent him bound to ^lCaiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Jesus Again

25 ^mNow Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” 26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of ⁿthe man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you ^oin the garden with him?” 27 Peter again denied it, and ^pat once a rooster crowed.

Jesus Before Pilate

28 ^qThen they led Jesus ^rfrom the house of Caiaphas to ^sthe governor’s headquarters.⁶ It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, ^tso that they would not be defiled, ^ubut could eat the Passover. 29 ^vSo Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” 30 They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” 31 Pilate said to them, ^w“Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 ^xThis was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken ^yto show by what kind of death he was going to die.

My Kingdom Is Not of This World

33 ^zSo Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ^a“Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, ^b“My kingdom ^cis not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, ^dmy servants would have been fighting, that ^eI might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, ^f“You say that I am a king. ^gFor this purpose I was born and for this purpose ^hI have come into the world—ⁱto bear witness to the truth. ^jEveryone who is ^kof the truth ^llistens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, ^mhe went back outside to the Jews and told them, ⁿ“I find no guilt in him. 39 ^oBut you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” 40 They cried out again, ^p“Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.⁷