All this I saw, as I applied my mind to everything done under the sun. There is 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 and go from the holy place and receive praise in the city where they did this. This too is meaningless. When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked person who commits a hundred crimes may live a long time, I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. Yet because the wicked do not fear God, it will not go well with them, and their days will not lengthen like a shadow. There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve. This too, I say, is meaningless. So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.
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12 Days
God created us to find meaning in our lives. But we live in a broken world where we’re continually frustrated in our search. So, what’s the point of living life? This is the question the Teacher in Ecclesiastes is asking. At first, the message of this wisdom book seems to lead to despair, but in fact points to the hope of life found in God alone.
15 Days
Ecclesiastes is tough to read! The author, Solomon, is deeply reflective and concludes that everything is meaningless. Interestingly, these words are still relatable three thousand years later. Is everything meaningless? Why is this book in the Bible? Study the book of Ecclesiastes with the Story Bible guide, exploring what it meant when it was first written and what it means to us today.
30 Days
In the beginning was the Word … but what came next? This plan is for anyone who wants a better understanding of the Bible. It provides a chronological reading program that endeavors to place all biblical passages in their date order. Part Six of this twelve-part one-year reading plan is titled ‘The Nation Rebels, Divides and Declines, 975 BC–730 BC’.
31 Days
This is the fifteenth installment of our Bible reading plan, following a lectionary-style pattern with daily readings from the Psalms, Old Testament, and New Testament. Each day includes a devotional primer to guide your time in God’s Word. This month’s theme is purpose. In Ecclesiastes, we question what truly matters. Song of Songs reveals the purpose of love and relationships. Paul’s letters call us to live with clarity, identity, and mission in Christ. Together, these books invite us to discover God’s purpose—and how it shapes every part of our lives.
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