14 ^yIn the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, ^zso that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

15 In my ^avain¹ life I have seen everything. There is ^ba righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who ^cprolongs his life in his evildoing. 16 Be not overly righteous, and do not ^dmake yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? 17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. ^eWhy should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of ^fthis, and from ^gthat ^hwithhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

19 ⁱWisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

20 Surely ^jthere is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

21 Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear ^kyour servant cursing you. 22 Your heart knows that ^lmany times you yourself have cursed others.

23 All this I have tested by wisdom. ^mI said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. 24 That which has been is far off, and ⁿdeep, very deep; ^owho can find it out?

25 ^pI turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. 26 And I find something more ^qbitter than death: ^rthe woman whose heart is ^ssnares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but ^tthe sinner is taken by her. 27 Behold, this is what I found, says ^uthe Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— 28 which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. ^vOne man among a thousand I found, but ^wa woman among all these I have not found. 29 See, this alone I found, that ^xGod made man upright, but ^ythey have sought out many schemes.

You Are of Your Father the Devil

39 They answered him, ^m“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, ⁿ“If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now ^oyou seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth ^pthat I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, ^q“We were not born of sexual immorality. We have ^rone Father—even God.” 42 Jesus said to them, ^s“If God were your Father, you would love me, for ^tI came from God and ^uI am here. ^vI came not of my own accord, but ^whe sent me. 43 ^xWhy do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot ^ybear to hear my word. 44 ^zYou are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. ^aHe was a murderer from the beginning, and ^bdoes not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. ^cWhen he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? 47 ^dWhoever is of God hears the words of God. ^eThe reason why you do not hear them is that ^fyou are not of God.”

Before Abraham Was, I Am

48 The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and ^ghave a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but ^hI honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50 Yet ⁱI do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Truly, truly, ^jI say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never ^ksee death.” 52 The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! ^lAbraham died, as did the prophets, yet ^myou say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never ⁿtaste death.’ 53 ^oAre you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 Jesus answered, ^p“If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. ^qIt is my Father who glorifies me, ^rof whom you say, ‘He is our God.’¹ 55 But ^syou have not known him. ^tI know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be ^ua liar ^vlike you, but I do know him and I keep his word. 56 ^wYour father Abraham ^xrejoiced ^ythat he would see my day. ^zHe saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?”² 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, ^aI am.” 59 So ^bthey picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.