WEBVTT - Ecclesiastes 7

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your

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<v Speaker 1>walk with Christ, please visit us at BibleStudyHeadquarters.com. You're listening

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<v Speaker 1>to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. I'm John Stonge

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<v Speaker 1>and today we're in Ecclesiastes chapter 7 and we'll be

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<v Speaker 1>reading from the New English Translation. A good reputation is

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<v Speaker 1>better than precious perfumes. Likewise, the day of one's death

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<v Speaker 1>is better than the day of one's birth. It is

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<v Speaker 1>better to go to a funeral than a feast, for

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<v Speaker 1>death is the destiny of every person, and the living

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<v Speaker 1>should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter,

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<v Speaker 1>because sober reflection is good for the heart. The heart

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<v Speaker 1>of the wise is in the house of mourning, but

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<v Speaker 1>the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

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<v Speaker 1>It is better for a person to receive a rebuke

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<v Speaker 1>from those who are wise than to listen to the

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<v Speaker 1>song of fools. For like the crackling of quick burning

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<v Speaker 1>thorns under a cooking pot, so is the laughter of

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<v Speaker 1>the fool. This kind of folly also is useless. Surely

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<v Speaker 1>oppression can turn a wise person into a fool. Likewise,

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<v Speaker 1>a bribe corrupts the heart. The end of a matter

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<v Speaker 1>is better than its beginning. Likewise, patience is better than pride.

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<v Speaker 1>Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides

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<v Speaker 1>in the lap of fools. Do not say, Why were

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<v Speaker 1>the old days better than these days? For it is

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<v Speaker 1>not wise to ask that. Wisdom, like an inheritance, is

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<v Speaker 1>a good thing. It benefits those who see the light

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<v Speaker 1>of day. For wisdom provides protection. just as money provides protection.

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<v Speaker 1>But the advantage of knowledge is this, wisdom preserves the

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<v Speaker 1>life of its owner. Consider the work of God, for

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<v Speaker 1>who can make straight what he has bent? In times

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<v Speaker 1>of prosperity be joyful, but in times of adversity consider this,

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<v Speaker 1>God has made one as well as the other, so

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<v Speaker 1>that no one can discover what the future holds. During

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<v Speaker 1>the days of my fleeting life, I have seen both

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<v Speaker 1>of these things. Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in

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<v Speaker 1>spite of his righteousness. And sometimes a wicked person lives

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<v Speaker 1>long in spite of his evil deeds. So do not

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<v Speaker 1>be excessively righteous or excessively wise. Otherwise, you might be disappointed.

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<v Speaker 1>Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Otherwise,

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<v Speaker 1>you might die before your time. It is best to

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<v Speaker 1>take hold of one warning without letting go of the

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<v Speaker 1>other warning, for the one who fears God will follow

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<v Speaker 1>both warnings. Wisdom gives a wise person more protection than

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<v Speaker 1>ten rulers in a city, for there is not one

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<v Speaker 1>truly righteous person on the earth who continually does good

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<v Speaker 1>and never sins. Also, do not pay attention to everything

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<v Speaker 1>that people say. Otherwise, you might even hear your servant

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<v Speaker 1>cursing you. For you know in your own heart that

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<v Speaker 1>you also have cursed others many times. I have examined

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<v Speaker 1>all this by wisdom. I said, I am determined to

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<v Speaker 1>comprehend this, but it was beyond my grasp. Whatever has

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<v Speaker 1>happened is beyond human understanding. It is far deeper than

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<v Speaker 1>anyone can fathom. I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend

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<v Speaker 1>the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and

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<v Speaker 1>to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

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<v Speaker 1>I discovered this. More bitter than death is the kind

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<v Speaker 1>of woman who is like a hunter's snare. Her heart

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<v Speaker 1>is like a hunter's net, and her hands are like

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<v Speaker 1>prison chains. The man who pleases God escapes her, but

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<v Speaker 1>the sinner is captured by her. The teacher says, I

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<v Speaker 1>discovered this while trying to discover the scheme of things,

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<v Speaker 1>item by item. What I have continually sought I have

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<v Speaker 1>not found. I have found only one upright man among

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<v Speaker 1>a thousand, but I have not found one upright woman

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<v Speaker 1>among all of them. This alone have I discovered. God

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<v Speaker 1>made humankind upright, but they have sought many evil schemes.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for your word, and

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<v Speaker 1>we thank you for the privilege of obtaining the gift

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<v Speaker 1>of wisdom through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ, so

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<v Speaker 1>that as we look at a portion of Scripture like this,

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<v Speaker 1>you give us wisdom into its content, understanding in how

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<v Speaker 1>to apply it, and you give us the strength and

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<v Speaker 1>desire to listen to you as you communicate your truth. Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>we recognize that by nature we are sinful people, and

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<v Speaker 1>just as this chapter tells us, You made us upright,

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<v Speaker 1>but we have sought many evil schemes. Humanity as a

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<v Speaker 1>whole has rebelled against You. But we know that Your Son,

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus Christ, came to this earth and took our sin

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<v Speaker 1>upon Himself so that through faith in Him, we can

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<v Speaker 1>live forever. We can be forgiven of our sin. We

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<v Speaker 1>can walk with You for all eternity. Lord, we're grateful

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<v Speaker 1>for these things and we're grateful for your love for us.

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<v Speaker 1>We pray, Lord, that we would rejoice in your presence

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<v Speaker 1>with us today. And we thank you for this all

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<v Speaker 1>in Jesus' name. Amen.