Yesterday and today The Boss walked me through Ecclesiastes. Here are the highlights:

“Find enjoyment in your toil.” [2:24]

“I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart – yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil – this is God’s gift to man.” [3:10-13]

“God tests us, that we may see that we ourselves are beasts.” [3:18] …”The hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live.” [9:3]

“There is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work.” [3:22]

“Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of striving after wind.” [4:6]

“Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to take advice.” [4:13]

“To draw near and listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.” [5:1 …see also Mark 7:1-13]

“Let your words be few. …Let not your mouth lead you into sin. …When words grow many, there is vanity.” [5:3, 6, 7]

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money.” [5:10]

“There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt. …And all his days he eats in darkness and in much vexation and sickness and anger.” [5:13, 17]

“The gift of God …God keeps a man occupied with joy in his heart.” [5:20]

“It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.” [7:5]

“The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.” [7:8]

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” [7:9]

“Say not, ‘Why were the former days better than these?’ For it is not from wisdom that you ask this.” [7:10]

“Consider the work of God: who can make straight what He has made crooked?” [7:13]

“Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself?” [7:16]

“Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear someone cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.” [7:21-22]

“I find something more bitter than death: the woman whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her.” [7:26]

‘I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun.” [8:15] …”Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.” [9:7] …”Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” [9:9a, 10a]

“A living dog is better than a dead lion.” [9:4]

“I have seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.” [9:13-16]

“The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shouting of a ruler among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.” [9:17-18]