Ecclesiastes 6
1 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, and it is abundant among men:†
2 A man to whom God shall give wealth, possessions, and glory, so he lacks nothing for his life from all the things he shall desire; yet God does not give him power to eat of it, but a stranger consumes it. This is vanity and a grievous sickness.
3 If a man begets a hundred children, and he shall live many years—however many the days of his years shall be—yet his soul is not to be filled with goodness, and he also has no burial. I say that a miscarried child is better than he,
4 for it came in futility and departs in darkness; and its name shall be covered with darkness.
5 Though it has not seen the sun or known anything, it has more rest than that man.
6 Even if he lived a thousand years twice, but has not seen goodness, do not all go to one place?
7 All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet his soul is not satisfied.
8 For what advantage does the skilled man Have over the unskilled man, Since even this poor man knows how to keep himself alive?
9 Better is the sight of the eyes Than the wandering of the soul. This also is vanity and is the choice of one’s spirit.
10 If anything has come to be, Its name has already been used; And it is known what man is, That he is unable to dispute with him Who is stronger than he.
11 Since there are many words that multiply vanity, What advantage does man have?
12 For who knows what is good for man in his life? For all his days in life, which pass like a shadow, are spent in vanity. Who can tell a man what will happen under the sun after he is gone?
Psalms 123
1 An ode of ascents. “If the Lord had not been with us,” Let Israel now say,
2 “If the Lord had not been with us, When men rose up against us,
3 Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their anger raged against us,
4 Then the water would have drowned us; Our soul would have passed through a torrent,
5 Then our soul would have passed through A water that is overwhelming.”
6 Blessed is the Lord, Who did not give us as prey to their teeth.
7 Our soul was delivered like a sparrow From the snare of the hunters; The snare was broken, and we were delivered.
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
Psalms 124
1 An ode of ascents. Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion; He who dwells in Jerusalem shall be unshaken forever.
2 The mountains surround her, And the Lord surrounds His people From this present time and unto the ages.
3 The Lord will not permit the rod of sinners To be upon the inheritance of the righteous, Lest the righteous stretch out Their hands in lawlessness.
4 Do good, O Lord, to the good, And to the upright in heart;
5 But those who turn aside to crooked ways, The Lord shall lead away with the workers of lawlessness. Peace be upon Israel.
Proverbs 27
25 Know thoroughly the souls of your sheep, And you will set your heart on your flocks,†
26 Since strength and might are not in man forever, Neither are they transmitted from generation to generation.
27 Take care of the green plants in the field, and cut the herbs short, And gather the grass of the mountains.
28 That you may have the wool of sheep for clothing, Honor the field, so there may be lambs for you.
29 My son, you have strong sayings from me for your life And for the life of your servants.
John 16
1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.
2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.
3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.
4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. “And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.
The Work of the Holy Spirit
5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’
6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.†
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.†
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:†
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.†
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Death, Resurrection, Ascension Foretold
16 “A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the Father.”†
17 Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?”
18 They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not know what He is saying.”
19 Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’?
20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.†
22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
23 “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
25 “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.†
26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;†
27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.
28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”
29 His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!
30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God.”
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe?
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”