Ecclesiastes 9
1 For I gave my heart to all this, and my heart saw all this, that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. Whether it be love or hatred, man does not know it, although all things are before him.†
2 Vanity is in all things: One event happens to the righteous man and the ungodly man, To the good man and the evil man, To the pure man and the impure man, To the man who sacrifices and the man who does not sacrifice. As is the good man, so is the man who sins; As is he who takes an oath, so is he who fears an oath.
3 There is this evil in everything done under the sun, that one event happens to all. And truly the heart of the sons of men is full of evil; madness is in their heart while they live, and afterwards they go to the dead.
4 For who has fellowship with all the living? There is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion.†
5 For the living know they will die, But the dead know nothing; And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, hatred, and envy have now perished; And they have no portion forever In all that is done under the sun.
7 Go, eat your bread with merriment And drink your wine with a happy heart; For now God is well pleased with your works.†
8 Let your garments be always white, And let your head lack no oil.
9 Experience life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He gave you under the sun all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life and in the labor you performed under the sun.
10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work or reasoning or knowledge or wisdom in Hades where you are going.
11 I returned and saw under the sun that: The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor wealth to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of knowledge; For time and chance will happen to them all.†
12 For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time When it falls suddenly upon them.
Wisdom Is Better Than Strength
13 I saw this wisdom under the sun, and it is great to me.
14 There was a little city with a few men in it; and a great king came against it and surrounded it and built great barricades around it.†
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and by his wisdom he rescued the city; yet no one remembered that poor man.
16 Then I said: “Wisdom is better than strength, But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.
17 The words of the wise are heard in quietness More than the shouting of those who rule in foolishness.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, But one sinner destroys much goodness.”
Psalms 129
1 An ode of ascents. Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
2 O Lord, hear my voice; Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplication.
3 If You, O Lord, should mark transgression, O Lord, who would stand?
4 For there is forgiveness with You.
5 Because of Your law, O Lord, I waited for You; My soul waited for Your word.
6 My soul hopes in the Lord, From the morning watch until night; From the morning watch until night, Let Israel hope in the Lord.
7 For with the Lord there is mercy, And with Him is abundant redemption;
8 And He shall redeem Israel From all his transgressions.
Psalms 130
1 An ode of ascents, by David. O Lord, My heart is not exalted, Neither are my eyes raised up; Neither am I carried along in great things, Nor in things too marvelous for me.
2 If I were not humble-minded, But exalted my soul, Like a child weaned from his mother, So You would reward my soul.
3 Let Israel hope in the Lord From this present time and unto the ages.
Proverbs of Solomon 28
12 A rich man is wise in his own eyes, But a poor man shall disapprove of his thoughts.
13 Great glory arises because of the help of the righteous, But in places of the ungodly, men are conquered.†
14 He who hides his own ungodliness shall not prosper, But he who leads his own rebuttal shall be loved.†
15 Blessed is the man who shall be discreet in all things because of godly fear, But the man who hardens his heart shall fall into evils.
John 18
Jesus Before Pilate
28 Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.†
29 Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”
30 They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”
31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,”†
32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.†
33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”†
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”
37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.†
39 “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
40 Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.
John 19
1 So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. †
2 And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.
3 Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.
4 Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”