The Adversity Gospel: Trading Prosperity Promises and Deep Disappointment for Unsinkable Hope

Blessed: Unlocking the Power of the Beatitudes

New Morning Mercies for Teens: A 10-Day Gospel Devotional

Good God!

Hearing God When It Seems Impossible

Led by the Spirit: Journey Through the Book of Acts Part 2

How to Read the Bible

Everyone Plays a Part

Purpose in the Pause: Finding Hope in the Waiting

SHEMA: Hear and Obey

The Listener’s Bible®: NIV Edition

New International Version™  (Anglicised), Audio Edition

Holy Bible, New International Version™ (Anglicised), South Asian Audio Edition

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkECC">
      <div class="chapter ch4" data-usfm="ECC.4">
         <div class="label">4</div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness</span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="ECC.4.1"><span class="label">1</span><span class="content">Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="ECC.4.1"><span class="content">I saw the tears of the oppressed&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="ECC.4.1"><span class="content">and they have no comforter;</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="ECC.4.1"><span class="content">power was on the side of their oppressors&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="ECC.4.1"><span class="content">and they have no comforter.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v1" data-usfm="ECC.4.1"></span><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="ECC.4.2"><span class="label">2</span><span class="content">And I declared that the dead,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="ECC.4.2"><span class="content">who had already died,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="ECC.4.2"><span class="content">are happier than the living,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="ECC.4.2"><span class="content">who are still alive.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v2" data-usfm="ECC.4.2"></span><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="ECC.4.3"><span class="label">3</span><span class="content">But better than both</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="ECC.4.3"><span class="content">is the one who has never been born,</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="ECC.4.3"><span class="content">who has not seen the evil</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="ECC.4.3"><span class="content">that is done under the sun.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v3" data-usfm="ECC.4.3"></span><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="ECC.4.4"><span class="label">4</span><span class="content">And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person&#8217;s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v4" data-usfm="ECC.4.4"></span><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="ECC.4.5"><span class="label">5</span><span class="content">Fools fold their hands</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="ECC.4.5"><span class="content">and ruin themselves.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v5" data-usfm="ECC.4.5"></span><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="ECC.4.6"><span class="label">6</span><span class="content">Better one handful with tranquillity</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="ECC.4.6"><span class="content">than two handfuls with toil</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="ECC.4.6"><span class="content">and chasing after the wind.</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v6" data-usfm="ECC.4.6"></span><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="ECC.4.7"><span class="label">7</span><span class="content">Again I saw something meaningless under the sun:</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v7" data-usfm="ECC.4.7"></span><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="label">8</span><span class="content">There was a man all alone;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">he had neither son nor brother.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">There was no end to his toil,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">&#8220;For whom am I toiling,&#8221; he asked,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">&#8220;and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">This too is meaningless&#8212;</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"><span class="content">a miserable business!</span></span></div><div class="b"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v8" data-usfm="ECC.4.8"></span><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="ECC.4.9"><span class="label">9</span><span class="content">Two are better than one,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="ECC.4.9"><span class="content">because they have a good return for their labor:</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v9" data-usfm="ECC.4.9"></span><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="ECC.4.10"><span class="label">10</span><span class="content">If either of them falls down,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="ECC.4.10"><span class="content">one can help the other up.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="ECC.4.10"><span class="content">But pity anyone who falls</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="ECC.4.10"><span class="content">and has no one to help them up.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v10" data-usfm="ECC.4.10"></span><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="ECC.4.11"><span class="label">11</span><span class="content">Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="ECC.4.11"><span class="content">But how can one keep warm alone?</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v11" data-usfm="ECC.4.11"></span><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="ECC.4.12"><span class="label">12</span><span class="content">Though one may be overpowered,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="ECC.4.12"><span class="content">two can defend themselves.</span></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="ECC.4.12"><span class="content">A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.</span></span></div><div class="s1"><span class="heading">Advancement Is Meaningless</span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v12" data-usfm="ECC.4.12"></span><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="ECC.4.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. </span></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="ECC.4.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="ECC.4.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king&#8217;s successor. </span></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="ECC.4.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.</span></span></div>
      </div>
   </div>
</div>

New International Version

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkPRO">
      <div class="chapter ch27" data-usfm="PRO.27.17">
         <div class="q1"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="PRO.27.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="content">As iron sharpens iron,</span></span></div><div class="q2"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="PRO.27.17"><span class="content">so one person sharpens another.</span></span></div><div class="b"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="PRO.27.17"></span></div><div class="q1"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="PRO.27.17"></span></div>
      </div>
   </div>
</div>

<div class="version vid111 iso6393eng" data-vid="111" data-iso6393="eng">
   <div class="book bkLUK">
      <div class="chapter ch12" data-usfm="LUK.12.13+LUK.12.14+LUK.12.15+LUK.12.16+LUK.12.17+LUK.12.18+LUK.12.19+LUK.12.20+LUK.12.21">
         <div class="p"><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="LUK.12.13"><span class="label">13</span><span class="content">Someone in the crowd said to him, &#8220;Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.&#8221;</span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v13" data-usfm="LUK.12.13"></span><span class="verse v14" data-usfm="LUK.12.14"><span class="label">14</span><span class="content">Jesus replied, </span><span class="wj"><span class="content">&#8220;Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?&#8221;</span></span><span class="content"> </span></span><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="LUK.12.15"><span class="label">15</span><span class="content">Then he said to them, </span><span class="wj"><span class="content">&#8220;Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.&#8221;</span></span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v15" data-usfm="LUK.12.15"></span><span class="verse v16" data-usfm="LUK.12.16"><span class="label">16</span><span class="content">And he told them this parable: </span><span class="wj"><span class="content">&#8220;The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest.</span></span><span class="content"> </span></span><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="LUK.12.17"><span class="label">17</span><span class="wj"><span class="content">He thought to himself, &#8216;What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.&#8217;</span></span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v17" data-usfm="LUK.12.17"></span><span class="verse v18" data-usfm="LUK.12.18"><span class="label">18</span><span class="content"> </span><span class="wj"><span class="content">&#8220;Then he said, &#8216;This is what I&#8217;ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.</span></span><span class="content"> </span></span><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="LUK.12.19"><span class="label">19</span><span class="wj"><span class="content">And I&#8217;ll say to myself, &#8220;You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.&#8221;&#8198;&#8217;</span></span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v19" data-usfm="LUK.12.19"></span><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="LUK.12.20"><span class="label">20</span><span class="content"> </span><span class="wj"><span class="content">&#8220;But God said to him, &#8216;You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?&#8217;</span></span></span></div><div class="p"><span class="verse v20" data-usfm="LUK.12.20"></span><span class="verse v21" data-usfm="LUK.12.21"><span class="label">21</span><span class="content"> </span><span class="wj"><span class="content">&#8220;This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.&#8221;</span></span></span></div>
      </div>
   </div>
</div>

Trusting God in Every Time - Ecclesiastes + DanielSample

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