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 4-7

It is better to be a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king who won't be corrected anymore.
If you make a promise to God, keep your promise and don't take long.

Don't be in a hurry when you go to God's house.
Wealth can disappear.

 

Chapter 4

I started thinking about oppression (people holding down other people). The people who were being oppressed were crying. No one was helping them. There was a powerful person, but no one comforted the people.
[1] So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.


I felt that the dead people were luckier than people who are alive. They are luckier than people who have not yet been born.

[2] Wherefore I praised the dead which are already dead more than the living which are yet alive.
[3] Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.



I thought again about work. A man might work hard and his neighbors are jealous of him.  This is also a waste of time.
[4] Again, I considered all travail, and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.


A foolish man just sits and does nothing. He eats his own animals.

[5] The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

It is better to rest and be quiet than to have so much work to do that it feels frustrating,
[6] Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.


I saw more worthlessness.  There is a man alone with no child and no brother.  He works hard, but he is never satisfied with his wealth. This is not good.

[7] Then I returned, and I saw vanity under the sun.
[8] There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.


Two people are better than one person alone.  They will be rewarded for their work.  If one of them falls, the other one will pick them up. But if one falls and he is alone, no one can help him.

[9] Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
[10] For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.


One person in bed is cold. Two people keep each other warm.
[11] Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

2 people can defend themselves better than one person can. A cord with 3 strands is hard to break.
[12] And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

It is better to be a poor and wise child than an old and foolish king who won't be corrected anymore.
[13] Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished.

A person can come out of prison and be king, and a king can become poor.

[14] For out of prison he cometh to reign; whereas also he that is born in his kingdom becometh poor.

There was a leader in the past, and all the people followed him.  They followed him for a long time. But in the end, they did not follow him.  This is pointless.
[15] I considered all the living which walk under the sun, with the second child that shall stand up in his stead.
[16] There is no end of all the people, even of all that have been before them: they also that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
 


Chapter 5

Don't be in a hurry when you go to God's house. Be ready to listen.  Don't sacrifice like fools do. They don't think they have sinned. Do not talk too fast. Be careful how you pray.  God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So, don't talk a lot.
[1] Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
[2] Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

A dream comes from thinking about it.  A fool talks too much.
[3] For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

If you make a promise to God, keep your promise and don't take long.  God is not happy with fools. Pay what you have promised.
[4] When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
[5] Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
 

Do not let your mouth get you into trouble.  Don't tell the angel that you were wrong. God will be angry with your voice and destroy the work of your hands.
[6] Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?


Dreams and talking are a waste of time.  You should respect God.

[7] For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.


If you see poor people being mistreated and getting no justice, don't be surprised.  Every leader has someone over him. 

[8] If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

The profit from the earth is for everyone, including the king.
[9] Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
 

If you have a lot of money, you will not be satisfied.  This is pointless.
[10] He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
 

The more you get, the more people come around to get what you have.  What good is it to have more things?
[11] When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

Hard work makes a man eat. But a rich man eats too much and can't sleep.
[12] The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.


I have seen this happen -- a man keeps his wealth.  But then his riches are gone.  He had a son, but had nothing to give him.
[13] There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
[14] But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

When he was born, he had nothing. When he dies, he cannot take anything with him.  What good did it do to work hard?
[15] As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
[16] And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?

All of his days of life were sad, and he was sick. I have seen that it is good to eat and drink and enjoy the days God gives life on earth. 
[17] All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
[18] Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

If God gives someone riches and wealth, it is a gift.  He should be happy in his work.
[19] Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

He won't remember the bad times because God will keep him busy and joyful.
[20] For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
 


Chapter 6

There is something I have seen many times.  It is not good.  A man may be rich and have honor. He may have everything he wants. But, God does not allow him to use it. A stranger gets it all. This is bad and evil.
[1] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men:
[2] A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease.


A man might have 100 children.   He may live a long time, but he is not nice. I say that the babies who never lived are better off than that man. 
[3] If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he.

People come into life with nothing and leave in darkness.  Everyone's names will be covered in darkness. He has not seen the light. He hasn't known anything.

[4] For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.
[5] Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known any thing: this hath more rest than the other.
 

Even if he lives a thousand years, he still hasn't seen any good. Doesn't everyone go to one place?
[6] Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

All the work is for his mouth, but he is still hungry.

[7] All the labour of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.


Who really has more? Does the wise man know more than the foolish man? 
[8] For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

It is better to appreciate what you can see instead of wishing for something else. It is a waste of time.
[9] Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

Everything was named a long time ago. Man cannot fight with God. God is stronger than man.
[10] That which hath been is named already, and it is known that it is man: neither may he contend with him that is mightier than he.

Many things increase vanity (they are worthless).  Is Man better than that?

[11] Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what is man the better?

Who knows what is good for man in this life. His life will be dark like a shadow. Who can tell a man what comes next?
[12] For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
 


Back to the previous chapters To the next chapters


Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study Table of Contents
 

Workers For Jesus Main Page