The Daily Audio Bible Reading for Saturday September 3, 2022 (NIV)

Evil Under the Sun

4 ^(A)Again I ^(B)saw all ^(C)the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had ^(D)no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. ² And I ^(E)thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. ³ But ^(F)better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.

⁴ Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is ^(G)vanity^[a] and a striving after wind.

⁵ The fool ^(H)folds his hands and ^(I)eats his own flesh.

^6 (J)Better is a handful of ^(K)quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.

^7 (L)Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸ one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his ^(M)eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, ^(N)“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy ^(O)business.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰ For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, ^(P)but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³ Better was ^(Q)a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how ^(R)to take advice. ¹⁴ For he went ^(S)from prison to the throne, though in his own kingdom he had been born poor. ¹⁵ I saw all the living who move about under the sun, along with that^[b] youth who was to stand in the king's^[c] place. ¹⁶ There was no end of all the people, all of whom he led. Yet those who come later will not rejoice in him. Surely this also is ^(T)vanity and a striving after wind.

Fear God

5 ^{[d] (U)}Guard your steps when you go to ^(V)the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to ^(W)offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. ^2 [e] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore ^(X)let your words be few. ³ For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with ^(Y)many words.

⁴ When ^(Z)you vow a vow to God, ^(AA)do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. ^(AB)Pay what you vow. ^5 (AC)It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶ Let not your mouth lead you^[f] into sin, and do not say before ^(AD)the messenger^[g] that it was ^(AE)a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷ For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;^[h] but^{[i] (AF)}God is the one you must fear.

The Vanity of Wealth and Honor

^8 (AG)If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, ^(AH)do not be amazed at the matter, ^(AI)for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. ⁹ But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.^[j]

¹⁰ He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. ¹¹ When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? ¹² Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

^13 (AJ)There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, ¹⁴ and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. ^15 (AK)As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what ^(AL)gain is there to him who ^(AM)toils for the wind? ¹⁷ Moreover, all his days he ^(AN)eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

¹⁸ Behold, what I have seen to be ^(AO)good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment^[k] in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his ^(AP)lot. ¹⁹ Everyone also to whom ^(AQ)God has given ^(AR)wealth and possessions ^(AS)and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is ^(AT)the gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

6 ^(AU)There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: ² a man ^(AV)to whom ^(AW)God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he ^(AX)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God ^(AY)does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;^[l] it is a grievous evil. ³ If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that ^(AZ)the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's ^(BA)good things, and he also has no ^(BB)burial, I say that ^(BC)a stillborn child is better off than he. ⁴ For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. ⁵ Moreover, it has not ^(BD)seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds ^(BE)rest rather than he. ⁶ Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy^[m] no good—do not all go to the one place?

^7 (BF)All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.^{[n] 8} For what advantage has the wise man ^(BG)over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? ⁹ Better ^(BH)is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is ^(BI)vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has ^(BJ)already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to ^(BK)dispute with one stronger than he. ¹¹ The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? ¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his ^(BL)vain^[o] life, which he passes like ^(BM)a shadow? For who can tell man what will be ^(BN)after him under the sun?

The Temple of the Living God

^14 (A)Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For ^(B)what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or ^(C)what fellowship has light with darkness? ^15 (D)What accord has Christ with Belial?^[a] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? ¹⁶ What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For ^(E)we are the temple of the living God; as God said,

7 Since we have these promises, beloved, ^(K)let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body^[b] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Paul's Joy

^2 (L)Make room in your hearts^[c] for us. ^(M)We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have taken advantage of no one. ³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I said before that ^(N)you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together. ⁴ I am acting with ^(O)great boldness toward you; ^(P)I have great pride in you; ^(Q)I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

⁵ For even ^(R)when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—^(S)fighting without and fear within. ⁶ But ^(T)God, who comforts the downcast, ^(U)comforted us by the coming of Titus, ⁷ and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.