#christianbible — Public Fediverse posts

Isaiah, Chapter 12

This chapter is very short, only 6 verses long. It’s a brief hymn of praise that concludes the broader prophetic unit in Isaiah 7-12. Often called the “Book of Immanuel.” Moving from themes of judgment to ultimate restoration, the chapter anticipates a future day when God’s remnant will celebrate the end of His anger & the realization of His salvation. It’s divided into 2 main poetic stanzas; the speaker 1st expresses personal gratitude for divine comfort & trust in God as their strength & song, famously promising that God’s people will “draw water with joy from the wells of salvation.” The 2nd stanza expands into a corporate call for thanksgiving, urging the redeemed to proclaim God’s glorious deeds to all nations & to sing for joy because the Holy One of Israel dwells powerfully in their midst. We hope you enjoy this reading!

In that day, you’ll say: “I’ll praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away & you’ve comforted me. Surely God’s my salvation. I’ll trust & not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength & my song. He has become my salvation.”

In that day, you’ll say: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name; make known among the nations what He’s done, & proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things. Let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud & sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

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Isaiah, Chapter 5

This chapter has the famous “Song of the Vineyard,” where God depicts the nation of Israel as a vineyard that, despite getting painstaking care, yielded only wild, worthless grapes instead of righteousness & justice. Following this metaphor, the prophet pronounces a series of 6 woes against societal sins (like greed, drunkenness, moral perversion, arrogance), warning that divine judgment is looming & will manifest as a powerful, swift-moving invading foreign army executing justice on God’s behalf. Let’s get into it!

I’ll sing for the 1 I love, a song about his vineyard: My loved 1 had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up & cleared it of stones & planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it & cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes. But it yielded only bad fruit.

“Now you swellers in Jerusalem & men of Judah, judge between me & my vineyard. What more could’ve been done for my vineyard than I’ve done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? Now I’ll tell you what I’m going to do to my vineyard.”

“I’ll take away its hedge, & it’ll be destroyed. I’ll break down its wall, & it’ll be trampled; I’ll make it a wasteland. Neither purned nor cultivated, & briers & thorns will grow there; I’ll command the clouds not to rain on it.” The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel & the men of Judah are the garden of his delight.

He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. Woe to you who add house to house & join field to field till no space is left & you live alone in the land.

The Lord Almighty has declared, hearing: “Surely the great houses will become desolate, the fine mansions left without occupants. A 10-acre/10-yoke (a land plowed by 10 yoke of oxen in 1 day) vineyard will produce only a bath of wine (about 6 gallons or about 22 liters), a homer (about 6 bushels or about 220 liters) of seed, only an ephah (about 3/5 bushel or about 22 liters) of grain.”

Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they’re inflamed with wine. They’ve harps & lyres at their banquets, tambourines & flutes & wine. But they’ve no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.

Therefore, Sheol enlarges its appetite & opens its mouth without limit; into it’ll descend their nobles & masses with all their brawlers & revelers. So man will be brought low & mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled. But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice, & the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.

Then sheep will graze as in their own pasture. Lambs will feed among the ruins of the rich. Woe to those who draw sin along with cords of deceit, & wickedness as with cart ropes, to those who say, “Let God hurry, let him hasten his work so we may see it. Let it approach, let the plan of the Holy One of Israel come, so we may know it.”

Woe to those who call evil good & good evil, who put darkness for light & light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet & sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine & champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.

Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw & as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay & their flowers blow away like dust. For they’ve rejected the law of the Lord Almighty & spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore, the Lord’s anger burns against his people. His hand is raised & he strikes them down. The mountains shake, & the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all this, his anger isn’t turned away; his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations; he whistles for those at the ends of the earth.

Here they come, swiftly & speedily! Not 1 of them grows tired or stumbles, not 1 slumbers or sleeps. Not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung. Their horses’ hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind.

Their roar is like that of the lion; they roar like young lions. They growl as they seize their prey & carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day, they’ll roar over it, like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he’ll see darkness & distress. Even the light will be darkened by the clouds.

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Isaiah, Chapter 3

This chapter shows a stark prophetic judgment against Jerusalem & Judah. It’s centered on the total collapse of civic order, leadership, & social stability as a consequence of national rebellion. God announces the removal of ALL societal pillars (including essential food supplies, wise elders, skilled judges, & military defenders), leaving the nation to be governed by the immature & incompetent. The chapter ends with a direct rebuke of the haughty “daughters of Zion,” whose arrogant displays of extreme wealth & luxury will be replaced by public humiliation, captivity, & desolation, leaving the once proud capital stripped of its glory & sitting ruined on the ground. Let’s get into it!

See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem & Judah bout supply & support: all supplies of food & all supplies of water, the hero & warrior, the judge & prophet, the soothsayer & elder, the captain of 50 & man of rank, the counselor, skilled craftsmen & clever enchanter.

I’ll make boys their officials; mere kids will govern them. People will oppress each other. Man against man, neighbor against neighbor. The young will rise up against the old, the base against the honorable.

A man will seize one of his brothers at his dad’s home, & say, “You’ve a cloak, you be our leader. Take charge of this heap of ruins!” But that day, he’ll cry out, “I’ve no remedy. I’ve no food or clothing in my house. Don’t make me the leader of the people.”

Jerusalem staggers; Judah is falling. Their words & deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence. The look on their faces testifies against them. They parade their sin like Sodom. They don’t hide it. Woe to them! They’ve brought disaster upon themselves.

Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they’ll enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! They’ll be paid back for what their hands have done. Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. O my people, your guides lead you astray. They turn you from the path.

The Lord takes his place in court. He rises to judge the people. The Lord enters into judgment against the elders & leaders of his people. “It’s you who have ruined my vineyard. The plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people & grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

The Lord says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, tripping along with mincing steps, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore, the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion. The Lord will make their scalps bald.”

In that day the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles & headbands & crescent necklaces, the earrings & bracelets & veils, the headdresses & ankle chains & sashes, the perfume bottles & charms, the signet rings & nose rings, the fine robes & the capes & cloaks, the purses & mirrors, & the linen garments & tiaras & shawls.

Instead of fragrance, there will be a stench. Instead of a sash, a rope. Instead of well-dressed hair, baldness. Instead of beauty, branding. Your men will fall by the sword, your warriors in battle. The gates of Zion will lament & mourn; destitute, she’ll sit on the ground.

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Isaiah, Chapter 2

This chapter opens up with a striking eschatological vision of Mount Zion established as the supreme mountain, where all nations gather in peace to learn God’s law, famously turning their “swords into plowshares” & learning war no more. However, the chapter quickly shifts from this ideal future to a sharp critique of Judah’s present reality – condemning the nation for abandoning God in favor of pagan alliances, wealth, military reliance, & pervasive idolatry. Isaiah warns of the impending “Day of the Lord,” a fiery judgment designed to shatter human arrogance, humble every lofty thing, & destroy false idols, concluding with a sobering call to stop putting trust in mere mortals whose breath is in their nostrils.

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah & Jerusalem:

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains. It’ll be raised above the hills, & all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come & say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He’ll teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”

The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He’ll judge between the nations & will settle disputes for many peoples. They’ll beat their swords into plowshares & their spears into pruning hooks. The nation will not take up a sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. You’ve abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They’re full of superstitions from the East. They practice divination like the Philistines & clasp hands with pagans. Their land is full of silver & gold; there’s no end to their treasures.

Their land is full of horses. There’s no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols. They bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. So man will be brought low & mankind humbled – don’t forgive them. Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the Lord & the splendor of his majesty!

The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled & the pride of men brought low. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day. The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud & lofty, for all that’s exalted, & they’ll be humbled, for all the cedars of Lebanon, tall & lofty, & all the oaks of Bashan.

For all the towering mountains & all the high hills, for every lofty tower & every fortified wall, & every ship of Tarshish & every stately vessel. The arrogance of man will be brought low & the pride of men humbled. The Lord alone will be exalted in that day, & the idols will totally disappear.

Men will flee to caves in the rocks & to holes in the ground from dread of the Lord & the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. In that day men will throw away to the rodents & bats their idols of silver & idols of gold, which they made to worship.

They’ll flee to caverns in the rocks & to the overhanging crags from dread of his majesty, when he rises to shake the earth. Stop trusting in men, who have but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?

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Song of Songs, Chapter 4

This chapter gets pretty spicy. Enjoy the read!!!

Lover

How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; no 1 of them is alone.

Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with elegance; on it hang 1,000 shields, all of them shields of warriors.

Your 2 breasts are like 2 fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies. Until the day breaks & the shadows flee, I’ll go to the mountain of myrrh & to the hill of incense. All beautiful you are, my darling; there’s no flaw in you.

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Descend from the crest of Amana, from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon, from the lions’ dens & the mountain haunts of the leopards. You’ve stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you’ve stolen my heart with 1 glance of your eyes, with 1 jewel of your necklace.

How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, & the fragrance of your perfume than any spice! Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride; milk & honey are under your tongue.

The fragrance of your garments is like that of Lebanon. You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride. You’re a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna & nard, nard & saffron, calamus & cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh & apes & all the finest spices.

You’re a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.

Beloved

Awake, north wind, & come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad. Let my lover come into his garden & taste its choice fruits.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 12

This chapter is about remembering your creator while young, & the conclusion of the matter. This is the last chapter of Ecclesiastes. We’ll be going next to Song of Songs/Song of Solomon. Enjoy!

Remember you Creator, in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come & the years approach when you’ll say, “I find no pleasure in them.” Before the sun & the light & the moon & the stars grow dark, & the clouds return after the rain.

When the keepers of the house tremble, & the strong men stoop. When the grinders cease because they’re few, & those looking through the windows grow dim. When the doors to the street are closed & the sound of grinding fades. When men rise up at the sound of birds. But all their songs grow faint.

When men are afraid of heights & of dangers in the streets. When the almond tree blossoms & the grasshopper drags himself along & desire no longer is stirred. Then man goes to his eternal home & mourners go about the streets. Remember him – before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken. Before the pitcher is shattered at the spring.

Or the wheel broken at the well, & the dust returns to the ground it came from, & the spirit returns to God who gave it. “Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” Not only was the Teacher wise. But also, he imparted knowledge to the people.

He pondered & searched our & set in order many proverbs. The Teacher searched to find just the right words, & what he wrote was upright & true. The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by 1 Shepherd.

Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them. Of making many books there’s no end, & much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard. Here’s the conclusion of the matter: Fear God & keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing. Whether it’s good or evil.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9

This chapter is about a common destiny for all & wisdom better than folly. 4 more chapters to go. Let’s go!

So I reflected on all this & concluded that the righteous & the wise & what they do are in God’s hands. But no man knows whether love or hate awaits him. All share a common destiny – the righteous & wicked, the good & the bad, the clean & the unclean, those who offer sacrifices & those who don’t.

As it is with the good man, so with the sinner. As it is with those who take oaths. So with those who are afraid to take them. This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil & there is madness in their hearts while they live.

Afterward, they join the dead. Anyone who is among the living has hope. Even a live dog is better off than a dead lion! For the living know that they’ll die. But the dead know nothing. They’ve no further reward. Even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate, & their jealousy have long since vanished.

Never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun. Go, eat your food with gladness, & drink your wine with a joyful heart, for it is now that God favors what you do. Always be clothed in white, & always anoint your head with oil.

Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun – all your meaningless days. For this is your lot in life & in your toilsome labor under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.

For in Sheol, where you’re going, there’s neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom. I’ve seen something else under the sun: The race isn’t to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned. But time & chance happen to them all.

Moreover, no man knows when his hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare. So men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them. I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me.

There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it & built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man, poor but wise, & he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.”

But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, & his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. But 1 sinner destroys much good.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 8

This chapter is about wisdom & obeying the king. 5 more chapters, including this one, until we get to the book of the Bible, Song of Songs or Songs of Solomon. We honestly can’t wait until we get to Song of Songs! Our founder ABSOLUTELY loves Song of Songs. Our founder uses lines from the Song of Songs on their spouse all the time. Like pick-up lines. Yeah, we know. We know. But we can’t stop them! It’s actually kinda cute.

Who’s like the wise man? Who knows the explanation of things? Wisdom brightens a man’s face & changes its hard appearance. Obey the king’s command, I say, because you took an oath before God. Don’t be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Don’t stand up for a bad cause, for he’ll do whatever he pleases.

Since a king’s word is supreme, who can say to him, “What are you doing?” Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, & the wise heart will know the proper time & procedure. For there is a proper time & procedure for every matter, though a man’s misery weighs heavily upon him.

Since no man knows the future, who can tell him what’s to come? No man has power over the wind to contain it. So no one has power over the day of his death. As no one is discharged in time of war, wickedness will not release those who practice it.

All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There’s a time when a man lords it over others to his own hurt. Then too, I saw the wicked buried – those who used to come & go from the holy place & receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless.

When the sentence for a crime isn’t quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked man commits 100 crimes & still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.

Yet because the wicked don’t fear God, it’ll not go well with them. Their days will not lengthen like a shadow. There’s something else meaningless that occurs on earth: righteous men who get what the wicked deserve, & wicked men who get what the righteous deserve. This, too, I say, is meaningless. So I commend the enjoyment of life. Because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat & drink & be glad.

Then joy will accompany him in his way, all the days of the life God has given him under the sun. When I applied my mind to know wisdom & to observe man’s labor on earth – his eyes not seeing sleep day or night – then I saw all that God has done.

No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to discover it, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 7

This chapter is about wisdom. We hope you enjoy.

A good name is better than fine perfume, & the day of death better than the day of birth. It’s better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a home of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man. The living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter.

Because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning. But the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. It’s better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot. So is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.

Extortion turns a wise man into a fool & a bridle corrupts the heart. The end of a matter is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride. Don’t be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. Don’t say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it’s not wise to ask such questions.

Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing & benefits those who see the sun. Wisdom is a shelter, as money is a shelter. But the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor. Consider what God has done.

Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy. But when times are bad, consider: God has made the 1 as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future. In this meaningless life of mine, I’ve seen both of these:

A righteous man perishing in his righteousness, & a wicked man living long in his wickedness. Don’t be overrighteous. Neither be overwise. Why destroy yourself? Don’t be overwicked. Don’t be a fool. Why destroy yourself? It’s good to grasp the 1 & not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes.

Wisdom makes 1 wise man more powerful than 10 rulers in a city. There’s not a righteous man on earth who does what’s right & never sins. Don’t pay attention to every word people say, or you may hear your servant cursing you. For you know in your heart that many times you yourself have cursed others.

All this I tested by wisdom & I said, “I’m determined to be wise.” But this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it’s far off & most profound. Who can discover it? So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate & to search out wisdom & the scheme of things & to understand the stupidity of wickedness & the madness of folly.

I find more bitter than death the woman who’s a snare, whose heart is a trap & whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. “Look,” says the Teacher, “this is what I’ve discovered. Adding 1 thing to another to discover the scheme of things. While I was still searching, but not finding. I found 1 upright man among 1,000. But not 1 upright woman among them all. This is all I have found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.”

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3

This chapter is about a time for everything. I’m sure you’ve heard this before, even if you haven’t been to Sunday school. “A time to plant & a time to reap.” Enjoy!

There’s a time for everything, & a season for every activity under heaven:

• a time to be born & a time to die,
• a time to plant & a time to uproot,
• a time to kill & a time to heal,
• a time to tear down & a time to build,
• a time to weep & a time to laugh,
• a time to mourn & a time to dance,
• a time to scatter stones & a time to gather them,
• a time to embrace & a time to refrain,
• a time to search & a time to give up,
• a time to keep & a time to throw away,
• a time to tear & a time to mend,
• a time to be silent & a time to speak,
• a time to love & a time to hate,
• a time for war & a time for peace.

What does the worker gain from his toilet? I’ve seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men. Yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

I know that there’s nothing better for men than to be happy & do good while they live. That everyone may eat & drink, & find satisfaction in all his toil. This is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever. Nothing can be added to it & nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.

Whatever is has already been, & what will be has been before. God will call the past to account. And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment, wickedness was there, in the place of justice – wickedness was there.

I thought in my heart, “God will bring to judgment both the righteous & the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed.” I also thought, “As for men, God tests them so that they may see that they’re like the animals. Man’s fate is like that of the animals. The same fate awaits them both: As 1 dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath/spirit; man has no advantage over the animal.

Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place. All come from dust, & to dust all return. Who knows if the spirit of man rises upward & if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?” So I saw that there’s nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work. Because that’s his lot. Who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

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Ecclesiastes, Chapter 2

This chapter is about pleasures, wisdom, folly, & toil being meaningless. We hope you enjoy this read.

I thought in my heart, “Come now, I’ll test you with pleasure to find out what’s good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” I tried cheering myself with wine, & embracing folly. My mind is still guiding me with wisdom.

I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself & planted vineyards. I made gardens & parks & planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees.

I brought male & female slaves & had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds & flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. I amassed silver & gold for myself, & the treasure of kings & provinces. I acquired men & women singers, & a harem as well – the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this, my wisdom stayed with me.

I denied myself nothing my eyes desired. I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart too delights in all my work, & this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done & what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Nothing was gained under the sun.

Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, & also madness & folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? I saw that wisdom is better than folly. Just as light is better than darkness. The wise man has eyes in his head. While the fool walks in the darkness. But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both.

But I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.” For the wise men, like the fool, will not be long remembered (Then why is Solomon remembered for his wisdom?) In days to come, both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die!

So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the 1 who comes after me. And who knows whether he’ll be a wise man or a fool?

Yet he’ll have control over all the work into which I’ve poured my effort & skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge & skill, & then he must leave all he owns to someone who hasn’t worked for it. (This reminds us of what Bill Gates said about giving an inheritance to his kids) This too is meaningless & a great misfortune.

What does a man get for all the toil & anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? All his days his work is pain & grief. Even at night, his mind doesn’t rest. This too is meaningless. A man can do nothing better than to eat & drink & find satisfaction in his work. This, too, I see, is from the hand of God.

For without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the man who pleases Him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, & happiness. But to the sinner, He gives the task of gathering & storing up wealth to hand it over to the 1 who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

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Proverbs, Chapter 30

We’re almost there! Including this chapter, 2 more to go before we get into the next book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes. This chapter is about the sayings of Agur. Let’s get into it. Enjoy!

The sayings of Agur, son of Jakeh of Massa – an Oracle:

This man declared to Ithiel, Ithiel & Ucal: “I’m the most ignorant of men. I don’t have a man’s understanding. I’ve not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. Who has gone up to heaven & come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?”

“Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What’s his name, & the name of his son? Tell me if you know! Every word of God is flawless. He’s a shield to those who take refuge in him. Don’t add to his words, or he’ll reuke you & prove you a liar.”

“Two things I ask of you, O Lord. Don’t refuse me before I die. Keep falsehood & lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches. But give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much & disown you & say, ‘Who’s the Lord?’ Or I may become poor & steal, & so dishonor the name of my God.”

“Don’t slander a servant to his master, or he’ll curse you, & you’ll pay for it. Some curse their dads & don’t bless their moms. Those who are pure in their own eyes & yet are not cleansed of their filth. Those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful. Those whose teeth are swords & whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.”

“The leech has 2 daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. 3 things are never satisfied. 4 that never say, ‘Enough!’ The grave/Sheol, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, & fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’ The eye that mocks a dad, that scorns obedience to a mom, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.”

“There are 3 things that are too amazing for me, 4 that I don’t understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, & the way of a man with a maiden. This is the way of an adulteress: She eats & wipes her mouth & says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.'”

“Under 3 things the earth trembles, under 4 it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food, an unloved woman who’s married, & a maidservant who displaces her mistress. 4 things on earth are small, yet they’re extremely wise.”

“Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer. The hyrax/rock badger/coneys are creatures of little power. Yet they make their home in the crags. Locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks. A lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it’s found in kings’ palaces.”

“There are 3 things that are stately in their stride, 4 that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, & a king with his army around him. If you’ve played the fool & exalted yourself, or if you’ve planned evil, clap your hands over your mouth! For as churning the milk produces butter, & as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”

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Proverbs, Chapter 29

Here we go! Hope y’all enjoy!

A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed, without remedy. When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan. A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his dad. But a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

By justice, a king gives a country stability. But one who is greedy for bribes tears it down. Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet. An evil man is marked by his own sin. But a righteous one can sing & be glad. The righteous care about justice for the poor. But the wicked have no such concern.

Mockers stir up a city. But wise men turn away anger. If a wise man goes to court with a fool, the fool rages & scoffs, & there’s no peace. Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity & seek to kill the upright. A fool gives full vent to his anger. A wise man keeps himself under control.

If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked. The poor man & the oppressor have this in common: the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both. If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will always be secure. The rod of correction imparts wisdom. But a child left to himself disgraces his mom.

When the wicked thrive, so does sin. But the righteous will see their downfall. Discipline your son, & he’ll give you peace. He’ll bring delight to your soul. Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. But blessed is he who keeps the law.

A servant cannot be corrected by mere words. Though he understands, he’ll not respond. Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There’s more hope for a fool than for him. If a man pampers his servant from youth, he’ll bring grief in the end. An angry man stirs up dissension, & a hot-tempered one commits many sins.

A man’s pride brings him low. But a man of lowly spirit gains honor. The accomplice of a thief is his own enemy. He’s put under oath & dare not testify. Fear of man will prove to be a snare. But whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Many seek an audience with a ruler. But it’s from the Lord that man gets justice.

The righteous detest the dishonest. The wicked detest the upright.

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Proverbs, Chapter 28

We’re almost through the book of Proverbs. Including this chapter, we have 4 more to go! Let’s get into it.

The wicked man flees, though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers. But a man of understanding & knowledge maintains order. A ruler who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked. But those who keep the law resist them. Evil men don’t understand justice. But those who seek the Lord understand it fully. Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse.

He who keeps the law is a discerning son. But a companion of gluttons disgraces his dad. He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.

He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap. But the blameless will receive a good inheritance. A rich man may be wise in his own eyes. But a poor man who has discernment sees through him. When the righteous triumph, there’s great elation. But when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.

Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord. But he who hardens his heart falls into trouble. Like a roaring lion or a charging bear, a wicked man is ruling over a helpless people. A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. But he who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life.

A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death. Let no one support him. He whose walk is blameless is kept safe. But he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall. He who works his land will have abundant food. But the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

A faithful man will be richly blessed. But one eager to get rich will not go unpunished. To show partiality isn’t good, yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread. A stingy man is eager to get rich & is unaware that poverty awaits him. He who rebukes a man will, in the end, gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

He who robs his dad or mom & says, “It’s not wrong.” He’s a partner to him who destroys. A greedy man stirs up dissension. But he who trusts in the Lord will prosper. He who trusts in himself is a fool. But he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

He who gives to the poor will lack nothing. But he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses. When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding. But when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.

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The #Christian #reaction to #Trump’s #Bible #endorsement .

Former President Donald #Trump is officially selling a #patriotic #copy of the #ChristianBible themed to #LeeGreenwood’s famous #song, “#GodBlesstheUSA.” ‘#Sacrilege,’ #theology, and the #shadow of #ChristianNationalism (#Fascism)

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[…]And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ 
‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭35b #BibleStudy #BibleQuote #ChristianBible #ChristianTestament #NewTestament #JesusQuote #Scripture

“The Lord bless you and protect you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord bestow divine grace upon you, And grant you peace.”
“Thus so they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
-Numbers 6:24-27

Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the Tabernacle of Witness, and behold, the staff […] had sprouted with buds and bloomed blossoms and yielded ripe almonds!
-‭‭Numbers‬ ‭17‬:‭8‬ ‭

The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take the serpents away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery seraph serpent figurine, and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.”
So Moses made a serpent of bronze and put it upon a pole, and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.
-Numbers‬ ‭21‬‬:‭7-9‬

You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I, the Lord, am dwelling here among the children of Israel.’ 
‭‭-Numbers‬ ‭35‬:‭34‬ ‭

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Professors John Collins and Harold Attridge discuss Formation of the Biblical Canon - New Testament. This video is part of a larger project called Yale Bible Study.

https://youtu.be/LnvfaRmRUSU

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The Bible I am using for today’s bible study 📖

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Hebrew for Christians. Blessed to be a part of her journey.

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