Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents

About this Bible Study........The King James Version of the Bible is written in a beautiful form of the English language. It can be hard for modern English readers to understand.  In this study, you will find notes and summaries in brown just above the the verses from the Bible. We recommend that you read the notes and summaries first, and then read the verses in their KJV form. 



Timeline of the Bible


God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---
 God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. ---   This book of the Bible happens between theses times   David is Israel's greatest king. ---◄   Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.--- The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---   The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected.     A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- Christianity spreads. ---      Paul write letters to Christians in other places. In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

 

The Book of  Ecclesiastes

Solomon wrote this book at the end of his life.  He is looking back and has some regrets.  He sees many activities in life as being worthless.
He ends by emphasizing that even though life is hard, God is always with us and will help us.  

 

Ecclesiastes 1-3

Solomon talks about how pointless most things are.
There is a time and season for everything.

 



 

The Preacher is a name for Solomon. Solomon was one of the kings of Israel. He was David's son.
"Vanity of vanities; all is vanity". painting by Isaak Asknaziy, from Wikipedia


Chapter 1

These are the words of the Preacher.  He is the son of David, the king in Jerusalem.
[1] The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king


The Preacher said, "Nothing means anything. Everything is pointless.
[2] Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.


What good does it do for a man to work?

[3] What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?


One generation dies and another generation comes. But the earth is here forever.

[4] One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

The sun also rises and goes down. It hurries to the place where it came up.
[5] The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.


The wind goes to the south.  It turns to the north. It turns around constantly. The wind always returns again. 
[6] The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.Al


All of the rivers run to the sea, but the sea is not full. The rivers go back where they came from.
[7] All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
 

Everything is boring. The eye is bored, and the ear is bored.
[8] All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

 

There is nothing new under the sun.
[9] The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.


Is there anything new? Can anyone say, "Here is something new.| Everything was here in the past."
[10] Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.


We forget the past.  The people who live in the future will not remember anything of us either.

[11] There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

 


I was king of Israel in Jerusalem. I wanted to have wisdom about everything under heaven.  God has given us a tough job. I have seen all the work that is done under the sun. It is all a waste of time and means nothing.
[12] I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
[13] And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
[14] I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.


Things that are crooked cannot be made straight. Things that are missing cannot be counted.

[15] That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

I talked to myself.  I said I have more wisdom than anyone else. I have a lot of wisdom and knowledge.

[16] I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

I studied wisdom and madness. This is also a waste of time.

[17] And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

Because with more wisdom is more sorrow.  The person who has more knowledge has more sadness.
[18] For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

 


Chapter 2

I told myself to go do things for fun. But, this is also a waste of time.
[1] I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.

I said laughing is good for nothing.

[2] I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?

I drank wine and used my intelligence.  I tried to think about life. I wanted to think about what people do with their lives.
[3] I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.

I built many things. I made gardens and planted fruit trees in orchards.
[4] I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
[5] I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:

I made lakes and ways to water the trees.
[6] I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:

I had many workers, and they had children. I owned many cattle, more than anyone else in Jerusalem.
[7] I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:

I also gathered silver and gold. I got treasures from other kings in other places. I got men and women singers and musical instruments.
[8] I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.


I was great.  I had more than anyone before me in Jerusalem.  I was still wise, too.  I got anything and did anything I wanted.
[9] So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
[10] And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.

Then, I looked at everything I had made and all the work I did.  It was all a waste.

[11] Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

I turned around and saw wisdom and foolishness. What can the next king do?

[12] And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done.

I saw that wisdom was better than foolishness like light is better than darkness.
[13] Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.

The wise man has good eyes, but a fool walks in darkness.   I see now that they all end up the same.

[14] The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.


Then I said to myself, "I will end up the same as foolish people. So, why should I be wise?"  I also said to myself, "This is also for nothing. The wise people won't be remembered any more than the foolish people. Everyone ends up the same."

[15] Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.
[16] For there is no remembrance of the wise more than of the fool for ever; seeing that which now is in the days to come shall all be forgotten. And how dieth the wise man? as the fool.


That is why I hated life. The work we do is pointless.

[17] Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.


I hated all of my work. I would just have to leave it to someone after I died. I don't know if this will be a wise man or a foolish man. But he will be in control of everything I worked for. This is a waste.

[18] Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.
[19] And who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool? yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured, and wherein I have shewed myself wise under the sun. This is also vanity.


I was down when I thought about my hard work.
[20] Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.

A man can work and be smart, but after he dies, someone gets it all. This is very wrong and wasteful.

[21] For there is a man whose labour is in wisdom, and in knowledge, and in equity; yet to a man that hath not laboured therein shall he leave it for his portion. This also is vanity and a great evil.

What do people get from working so hard? We are depressed and tired at night. This is for nothing.

[22] For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun?
[23] For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity.

There is nothing better than to eat and drink and be happy.   I think this is from God. Who can eat more than me? 
[24] There is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour. This also I saw, that it was from the hand of God.
[25] For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, more than I?

God gives us wisdom and joy.  But for sinners, He gives work. Then He gives it to people who don't sin. This is confusing. 
[26] For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
 


Chapter 3
 

Picture from Kings James Bible Online

Everything has a season of time. There is a right time for everything that happens.
[1] To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 

There is the time to be born, and the time to die.
There is the time to plant things, and the time to pick the plants.

[2] A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
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There is a time to kill, and there is a time to heal.
There is a time to demolish or break down. And there is a time to build.

[3] A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

There is a time to cry, and there is a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad and mourn, and there is a time to be happy and dance.

[4] A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

There is a time to throw rocks, and there is a time to pick up rocks.
There is a time to hug, and there is a time not to hug.
There is a time to get something, and there is a time to lose something.
There is a time to keep something, and there is a time to throw something away.

[5] A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
[6] A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 

There is a time to rip cloth, and there is a time to sew cloth.
There is a time to be quiet, and there is a time to talk.
There is a time to love, and there is a time to hate.
There is a time for war, and there is a time for peace.

[7] A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
[8] A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.


What do we earn when we work hard? I have seen that God gives hard work to do.

[9] What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
[10] I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

God makes everything beautiful in His time when He is ready. But, man can't understand everything that God does.
[11] He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

People should be happy and do good.

[12] I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

Everyone should eat and drink and enjoy their work.  It is a gift from God.  I know that anything God does is forever.  Nothing can be added or taken away from it. Men should respect God.
[13] And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
[14] I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

God does things again and again. Things that happened in the past happen again.  Things that will happen in the future have already happened in the past.
[15] That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

I saw evil in the places that should have been fair and good.
[16] And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.


I told myself that God will judge everyone. There is a time for everything. God is showing us that we are like the animals. Animals live and die, and people live and die.
[17] I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.
[18] I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.
[19] For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
 

Every living thing turns to dust again after they die.  Who knows if our spirits go up and if the animals' spirits go down?
[20] All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.
[21] Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?
 

We should all enjoy our work.  Who knows what comes after that?
[22] Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

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