The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Sunday September 2, 2018 (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 1-3

All Is Vanity

These are the words of the Preacher, the son of David and king in Jerusalem.

“Vanity[a] of vanities,”
says the Preacher;
“vanity of vanities,
all is vanity.”

What benefit is there to a man in all his labors
that he toils under the sun?
A generation comes, and a generation goes,
but the earth continually remains.
The sun comes up, and the sun goes down,
and hurries to the place where it rises.
It moves to the south,
and then moves around to the north;
the wind continually travels around,
and it keeps turning on its circuit.
All the streams flow into the sea,
and the sea is never filled up.
And to the place where the streams flow,
there they continually return to flow.
All matters are wearisome;
a man is not able to speak to them.
The eye is not satisfied with what it sees,
and the ear is not content with what it hears.
What has been is the same as what will be,
and what has been done is the same as what will be done;
there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a matter where it is said,
“See, this is truly new”?
Long ago in the past
every matter has already been in our midst.
11 There is not a memory for the former things,
and moreover, there will not be
a memory for the things coming after,
even those things that are yet to come.

The Burden of Wisdom

12 I, the Preacher, have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I set my heart to seek and to investigate with wisdom everything that is done under heaven. It is a burdensome task that God has given to the sons of men, by which they may be occupied. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and indeed, all is vanity and like chasing the wind.

15 What is bent cannot be straightened,
and what is missing cannot be counted.

16 I spoke in my heart, saying, “I have been great and increased in wisdom more than anyone else who has been before me in Jerusalem, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know the folly of ideas and to know foolish behavior, and I know that this as well is like chasing the wind.

18 For in an abundance of wisdom is an abundance of frustration,
and he who increases in knowledge also increases in sorrow.

The Vanity of Pleasure

And I said in my heart, “Come, and I will test you with selfish pleasures to experience desires.” And notice that this too is vanity. And I said of frivolous fun, “They are only senseless ideas”; and regarding selfish pleasure, “What purpose is this?” I investigated how to cheer up my body with wine, while my heart was still guiding me with wisdom, in order to grasp folly until I might experience what is good for sons of men to do under heaven during the number of days that they might have life.

I accomplished great works. I built houses for myself, and planted myself vineyards. I made for myself royal gardens and parks, and I planted in them all sorts of fruit trees. I made for myself pools of water to irrigate the forests of growing trees. I even bought male and female slaves; even some were born to me in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks more than any who had been in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and treasures of kings and provinces. I obtained singers, both men and women, and the delights of the sons of men, and many concubines. So I became great and surpassed anyone who had been in Jerusalem before me. All the while my wisdom remained with me.

10 And everything that my eyes wanted I did not refuse them.
And I did not withhold my heart from any selfish pleasure,
for my heart was glad from all my efforts;
and this was my reward for all my efforts.
11 Then I turned to all the work that my hands had designed
and all the labor that I had toiled to make;
and notice, all of it was vanity and chasing the wind.
And there was no benefit under the sun.

The Fate of the Wise and the Fool

12 So I turned to consider wisdom,
the folly of ideas, and foolish behavior;
for what else can a man do who comes after the king?
Or what more than those have already done?
13 Then I saw that there is more benefit in wisdom than in foolishness,
more benefit in light than in darkness.
14 A wise man has eyes in his head so he sees where he walks,
but the fool continues in darkness.
Yet I perceived
that the same fate overtakes them all.

15 Then I said in my heart,

“What happens to the fool will happen to me also.
So to what advantage is my wisdom?”
Then I said to myself,
“This also is vanity.”
16 For there is no lasting memory for the wise or the fool,
by which in the coming days everyone will be forgotten.
How the wise dies just like the fool!

17 And I began to hate life for the labor that was done under the sun was contemptible to me, for all of this was vanity and chasing the wind. 18 And I despised all the toil in which I labored under the sun, which I will give up to the man who comes after me. 19 And who knows if this man will be wise or a fool? Yet he will gain power over every labor that I have toiled and my use of wisdom under the sun. Also this is vanity. 20 So I turned to give my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun. 21 For there is a man who labors with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; yet to a man who did not labor for this, he leaves it as his inheritance. This also is vanity and a great distress. 22 For what becomes of a man with all his labor and with the striving in his heart that he toils under the sun? 23 For all his days are sorrowful, and his work is a vexation; even at night his heart finds no rest. Also this is fleeting.

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in his labor. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God. 25 For who can even eat or have enjoyment more so than I?[b] 26 For to a man who is pleasing before Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting to give him who is pleasing before God. Also this is vanity and chasing the wind.

A Time for Everything

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to gain, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time of war, and a time of peace.

The God-Given Task

What benefit does the worker have in his toil? 10 I have seen the task that God has given to sons of men to be concerned with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its appropriate time. He has also put obscurity in their hearts[c] so that no one comes to know the work that God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I experienced that there is nothing better for them than to be glad and do good in their life. 13 And also that everyone should eat and drink and experience good in all their labor. This is a gift of God. 14 I have perceived that everything that God has done will be lasting. And to this there is nothing to be added, and from it there is nothing to be taken away. And God has done this so that in His presence men fear Him.

15 That which is has already been,
and what is to come has also already been;
and God seeks out what has been driven away.

The Vanity of Injustice

16 Moreover I saw what was under the sun:

In the place of justice, there was wickedness;
and in the place of righteousness, there was wickedness.

17 I thought in my heart:

God will bring judgment
to the righteous and the wicked,
for there is an appropriate time
for every matter and deed.

18 Then I thought in my heart: Regarding the account of sons of men, God is making clear to them to show that they are but animals. 19 For what befalls the sons of men befalls animals; as one dies, so dies the other. There is one breath for all of them; there is no advantage for man any more than animals, for all is vanity. 20 All go to one place: All are from the dust and all return to dust. 21 Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of animals goes down to the earth?

22 So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his labor, for that is his reward. For who will bring him to see what will happen after his life?

Footnotes:

  1. Ecclesiastes 1:2 Heb. suggests something futile, temporal, or obscure.
  2. Ecclesiastes 2:25 Some Heb. and Gk. texts, apart from Him.
  3. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Or timelessness, or perpetuity.
Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

2 Corinthians 6:1-13

As workers together with God, we ask you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have listened to you,
and in the day of salvation I have helped you.”[a]

Look, now is the accepted time; look, now is the day of salvation.

We give no offense in anything, that our service may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as servants of God: in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distress, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, and in hunger; by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and look, we live; as punished, but not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; and as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

11 O Corinthians, we have spoken frankly to you; our heart is opened wide. 12 You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. 13 In return (I speak as to my children) you also be open.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Psalm 46

Psalm 46

For the Music Director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

God is our refuge and strength,
a well-proven help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she will not be moved;
God will help her in the early dawn.
The nations roared; the kingdoms were moved;
He uttered His voice; the earth melted.

The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Come, see the works of the Lord,
who makes desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts off the spear;
He burns the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The Lord of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.

Proverbs 22:15

15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child,
but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Modern English Version (MEV)

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.