Participants: Kelly Mowrer
Series Code: HWAL
Program Code: HWAL000629
00:15 Hello and welcome to "His Words are Life."
00:17 I am Kelly Mower and thank you for joining with me today 00:20 to reading in the book of Ecclesiastes, together. 00:23 Before we start, let's pray. 00:26 Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you so much 00:29 for Your care and Your blessings 00:31 in Your keeping in all of our lives 00:34 to bring us this moment 00:35 where we can sit and hear Your word. 00:37 Please send Your Holy Spirit 00:40 to show us the personal way you want to plant this word 00:44 into our hearts and bring forth fruit to your glory. 00:47 We love you so much and thank you for loving us, amen. 00:51 We are reading in the book of Ecclesiastes 00:54 Chapter 8, beginning with verse 9 00:56 and this is the King James Version. 00:59 All this have I seen, and applied my heart 01:02 unto every work that is done under the sun, 01:06 there is a time wherein one man ruleth 01:08 over another to his own hurt. 01:10 And so I saw the wicked buried, 01:12 who had come and gone from the place of the holy, 01:15 and they were forgotten in the city 01:17 where they had so done, this is also vanity. 01:20 Because sentence against an evil work 01:22 is not executed speedily, 01:24 therefore the heart of the sons of men 01:26 is fully set in them to do evil. 01:29 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, 01:31 and his days be prolonged, 01:33 yet surely I know that it shall be well with them 01:36 that fear God, which fear before him. 01:39 But it shall not be well with the wicked, 01:41 neither shall he prolong his days, 01:43 which are as a shadow, 01:45 because he feareth not before God. 01:47 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth, 01:50 that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth 01:53 according to the work of the wicked, 01:55 again, there be wicked men, 01:57 to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous, 02:00 I said that this also is vanity. 02:03 Then I commended mirth, 02:05 because a man hath no better thing under the sun, 02:07 than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry, 02:10 for that shall abide with him 02:11 of his labour the days of his life, 02:13 which God giveth him under the sun. 02:15 When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, 02:18 and to see the business that is done upon the earth, 02:22 for also there is that neither day nor night 02:24 seeth sleep with his eyes. 02:26 Then I beheld all the work of God, 02:29 that a man cannot find out the work 02:31 that is done under the sun, 02:33 because though a man labour to seek it out, 02:36 yet he shall not find it, yea further, 02:39 though a wise man think to know it, 02:42 yet shall he not be able to find it. 02:45 Continuing in Ecclesiastes Chapter 9, 02:48 this is the King James Version. 02:51 For all this I considered in my heart 02:54 even to declare all this, that the righteous, 02:57 and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God, 03:02 no man knoweth either love or hatred 03:04 by all that is before them. 03:06 All things come alike to all, 03:09 there is one event to the righteous, 03:11 and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean, 03:14 and to the unclean, to him that sacrificeth, 03:18 and to him that sacrificeth not, 03:21 as is the good, so is the sinner, 03:24 and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath. 03:29 This is an evil among all things 03:30 that are done under the sun, 03:32 that there is one event unto all, 03:35 yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, 03:38 and madness is in their heart while they live, 03:40 and after that they go to the dead. 03:43 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope, 03:47 for a living dog is better than a dead lion. 03:51 For the living know that they shall die, 03:53 but the dead know not any thing, 03:55 neither have they any more a reward, 03:56 for the memory of them is forgotten. 03:58 Also their love, and their hatred, 04:00 and their envy, is now perished, 04:03 neither have they any more a portion for ever 04:06 in any thing that is done under the sun. 04:10 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, 04:13 and drink thy wine with a merry heart, 04:16 for God now accepteth thy works. 04:19 Let thy garments be always white, 04:21 and let thy head lack no ointment. 04:24 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest 04:27 all the days of the life of thy vanity, 04:29 which he hath given thee under the sun, 04:31 all the days of thy vanity, 04:32 for that is thy portion in this life, 04:34 and in thy labour which thou takest under the sun. 04:38 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, 04:41 do it with thy might, for there is no work, 04:44 nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, 04:47 in the grave, whither thou goest. 04:50 I returned, and saw under the sun, 04:53 that the race is not to the swift, 04:55 nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, 04:59 nor yet riches to men of understanding, 05:02 nor yet favour to men of skill, 05:05 but time and chance happeneth to them all. 05:09 For man also knoweth not his time, 05:13 as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, 05:15 and as the birds that are caught in the snare, 05:18 so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, 05:22 when it falleth suddenly upon them. 05:25 This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, 05:28 and it seemed great unto me, there was a little city, 05:31 and few men within it, 05:33 and there came a great king against it, 05:35 and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 05:39 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, 05:43 and he by his wisdom delivered the city, 05:48 yet no man remembered that same poor man. 05:52 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength, 05:56 nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, 05:59 and his words are not heard. 06:02 The words of wise men are heard in quiet 06:05 more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 06:08 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, 06:11 but one sinner destroyeth much good. 06:16 Continuing in the book of the Ecclesiastes 06:18 Chapter 10, and this is the King James Version. 06:22 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary 06:25 to send forth a stinking savour, 06:27 so doth a little folly 06:29 him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. 06:32 A wise man's heart is at his right hand, 06:36 but a fool's heart at his left. 06:38 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, 06:42 his wisdom faileth him, 06:43 and he saith to every one that he is a fool. 06:47 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, 06:50 leave not thy place, 06:53 for yielding pacifieth great offences. 06:57 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, 07:00 as an error which proceedeth from the ruler, 07:03 Folly is set in great dignity, 07:06 and the rich sit in low place. 07:09 I have seen servants upon horses, 07:12 and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 07:16 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it, 07:19 and whoso breaketh an hedge, 07:21 a serpent shall bite him. 07:24 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith, 07:27 and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. 07:31 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, 07:35 then must he put to more strength, 07:38 but wisdom is profitable to direct. 07:42 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment, 07:46 and a babbler is no better. 07:48 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, 07:52 but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 07:57 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, 07:59 and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 08:03 A fool also is full of words, 08:06 a man cannot tell what shall be, 08:09 and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 08:12 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, 08:14 because he knoweth not how to go to the city. 08:18 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, 08:21 and thy princes eat in the morning! 08:25 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, 08:29 and thy princes eat in due season, 08:32 for strength, and not for drunkenness! 08:35 By much slothfulness the building decayeth, 08:38 and through idleness of the hands 08:41 the house droppeth through. 08:43 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry, 08:46 but money answereth all things. 08:50 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought, 08:54 and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber, 08:56 for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, 08:59 and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. 09:03 Continuing in Ecclesiastes Chapter 11, 09:06 and this is the King James Version. 09:09 Cast thy bread upon the waters, 09:11 for thou shalt find it after many days. 09:15 Give a portion to seven, and also to eight, 09:17 for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. 09:21 If the clouds be full of rain, 09:23 they empty themselves upon the earth, 09:24 and if the tree fall toward the south, 09:26 or toward the north, in the place 09:28 where the tree falleth, there it shall be. 09:31 He that observeth the wind shall not sow, 09:34 and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. 09:38 As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, 09:41 nor how the bones do grow 09:42 in the womb of her that is with child, 09:45 even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. 09:51 In the morning sow thy seed, 09:53 and in the evening withhold not thine hand, 09:56 for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, 09:59 either this or that, 10:01 or whether they both shall be alike good. 10:05 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is 10:07 for the eyes to behold the sun. 10:10 But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, 10:15 yet let him remember the days of darkness, 10:17 for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity. 10:22 Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, 10:24 and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, 10:27 and walk in the ways of thine heart, 10:29 and in the sight of thine eyes, 10:32 but know thou, that for all these things 10:35 God will bring thee into judgment. 10:39 Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, 10:41 and put away evil from thy flesh, 10:44 for childhood and youth are vanity. 10:48 Continuing in the book of Ecclesiastes Chapter 12, 10:52 this is the King James Version. 10:54 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 10:58 while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, 11:02 when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them, 11:05 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, 11:07 be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain, 11:12 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, 11:14 and the strong men shall bow themselves, 11:17 and the grinders cease because they are few, 11:19 and those that look out of the windows be darkened, 11:23 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, 11:25 when the sound of the grinding is low, 11:27 and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, 11:29 and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low, 11:33 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, 11:36 and fears shall be in the way, 11:38 and the almond tree shall flourish, 11:39 and the grasshopper shall be a burden, 11:42 and desire shall fail, because man goeth to his long home, 11:47 and the mourners go about the streets. 11:50 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, 11:52 or the golden bowl be broken, 11:53 or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, 11:55 or the wheel broken at the cistern. 11:58 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, 12:02 and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. 12:07 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher, all is vanity. 12:12 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, 12:15 he still taught the people knowledge, 12:18 yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, 12:20 and set in order many proverbs. 12:24 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words, 12:27 and that which was written was upright, 12:29 even words of truth. 12:31 The words of the wise are as goads, 12:34 and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, 12:37 which are given from one shepherd. 12:39 And further, by these, my son, be admonished, 12:44 of making many books there is no end, 12:46 and much study is a weariness of the flesh. 12:49 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, 12:53 Fear God, and keep his commandments, 12:56 for this is the whole duty of man. 12:59 For God shall bring every work into judgment, 13:02 with every secret thing, 13:04 whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 13:09 We are moving now to "The Song of Solomon" 13:12 Chapter 1, and this is the King James Version. 13:15 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's. 13:20 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, 13:22 for thy love is better than wine. 13:26 Because of the savor of thy good ointments 13:28 thy name is as ointment poured forth, 13:31 therefore do the virgins love thee. 13:34 Draw me, we will run after thee, 13:36 the King hath brought me into his chambers, 13:39 we will be glad and rejoice in thee, 13:42 we will remember thy love more than wine, 13:45 the upright love thee. 13:47 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, 13:51 as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 13:54 Look not upon me, because I am black, 13:56 because the sun hath looked upon me, 13:58 my mother's children were angry with me, 14:00 they made me the keeper of the vineyards, 14:03 but mine own vineyard have I not kept. 14:06 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, 14:09 where thou feedest, where thou makest 14:12 thy flock to rest at noon, 14:14 for why should I be as one that turneth aside 14:16 by the flocks of thy companions? 14:19 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, 14:22 go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, 14:24 and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents. 14:28 I have compared thee, O my love, 14:30 to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots. 14:34 Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, 14:36 thy neck with chains of gold. |
Revised 2014-12-17