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Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them white as snow. Thought they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will obey Me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away from Me and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your. enemies. I, the Lord have spoken!” (vv. 16-20, NLT)

Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and pulley is broken from the well. For then the dust will return to earth and the spirit will return to God who gave it. (vv. 6-7, NLT)

That’s the while story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey His commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. (vv. 13-14, NLT)

Advice for the Young and Old

Light is sweet; how pleasant to see a new day dawning.

When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember there will be many dark days. everything still to come is meaningless.

Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything yo do. So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless. (vv. 7-10, NLT)

Death Comes to All

This, too, I carefully explored: Even though the actions of the godly and wise people are in God’s hands, no one knows whether God will show them favor. The same destiny ultimately awaits everyone, whether righteous or wicked, good or bad, ceremonially clean or unclean, religious or irreligious. Good people receive the same treatment as sinners, and people who make promises to God are treated like people who don’t.

It seems so tragic that everyone under the sun suffers the same fate. They is why people are nor more careful to do good. Instead, they choose their own mad course, for they have no hope. There is nothing ahead but death anyway. There is hope only for the living. As they say, “It is better to be a live dog than a dead lion!” (vv. 1-4,NLT)

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. And those who are educated don’t always lead successful lives. It is all decided by chance, by being in the right place at the right time. People can never predict when hard tines might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy. (vv. 11-12, NLT)

When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it safe to do wrong. But even though a person sins a hundred times and fear God will be better off. The wicked will not prosper, for they do not fear God. Their days will never grow long like the evening shadows.

And this is not all that is meaningless in our world. In this life, good people are often treated as though they were wicked, and wicked people are often treated as though they were good. This is so meaningless!

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

In my search for wisdom and in my observation of the people’s burdens here on earth, I discovered that there is ceaseless activity, day and night. I realized that no one can discover everything God is doing under the sun. Not even the wisest people discover everything, no matter what they claim. (vv. 11-17, NLT)

Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. Control your temper, anger labels you as a fool. Don’t long for the “good old days.” This is not wise. Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life. Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life.

Accept the way God does things, for who can straighten what He has made crooked? Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in life. (vv. 8-14, NLT)

Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have. Just dreaming about nice things is meaningless-like chasing the wind.

Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. In a few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how many days can best be spent Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth when we are gone? (vv. 9-12, NLT)

Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people will come to help you spend it. so what good is wealth-except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!

People who work hard and sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep. (vv. 10-12, NLT)

Even so, I have noticed one thing, a least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God gives them. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life-this is indeed a gift from God. God keep such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past. (vv. 18-20, NLT)

As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don’t make rash promises, and don’t be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, Go is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few.

To much activity give you restless dreams; too many words make you a fool.

When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God take no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to Him. Is is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t make your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and He might wipe out everything you have achieved.

Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.
(vv. 1-7, NLT)

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help . But if someone falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one get warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. There are even better for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. (vv. 9-12, NLT)