Formation Journal Reading Plan

4:1 Then I returned and saw 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.

4:2 Wherefore I praised the dead that have been long dead more than the living that are yet alive;

4:3 yea, better than them both did I esteem him that hath not yet been, who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

4:4 Then I saw all labor and every skilful work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind.

4:5 The fool foldeth his hands together, and eateth his own flesh.

4:6 Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and striving after wind.

4:7 Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun.

4:8 There is one that is alone, and he hath not a second; yea, he hath neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with riches. For whom then, saith he, do I labor, and deprive my soul of good? This also is vanity, yea, it is a sore travail.

4:9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.

4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, and hath not another to lift him up.

4:11 Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one be warm alone?

4:12 And if a man prevail against him that is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

4:13 Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king, who knoweth not how to receive admonition any more.

4:14 For out of prison he came forth to be king; yea, even in his kingdom he was born poor.

4:15 I saw all the living that walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the second, that stood up in his stead.

4:16 There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was: yet they that come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a striving after wind.

5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

5:3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.

5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.

5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

5:6 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 thy hands?

5:7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.

5:8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.

5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?

5:12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

5:13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

5:14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

5:15 As he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

5:16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?

5:17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.

5:18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

5:19 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 labor—this is the gift of God.

5:20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

69:1 For the Chief Musician; set to Shoshannim. A Psalm of David. Save me, O God; For the waters are come in unto my soul.

69:2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me.

69:3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is dried: Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

69:4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head: They that would cut me off, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: That which I took not away I have to restore.

69:5 O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid from thee.

69:6 Let not them that wait for thee be put to shame through me, O Lord Jehovah of hosts: Let not those that seek thee be brought to dishonor through me, O God of Israel.

69:7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; Shame hath covered my face.

69:8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children.

69:9 For the zeal of thy house hath eaten me up; And the reproaches of them that reproach thee are fallen upon me.

69:10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, That was to my reproach.

69:11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword unto them.

69:12 They that sit in the gate talk of me; And I am the song of the drunkards.

69:13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy lovingkindness, Answer me in the truth of thy salvation.

69:14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: Let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.

69:15 Let not the waterflood overwhelm me, Neither let the deep swallow me up; And let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.

2:5 But if any hath caused sorrow, he hath caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I press not too heavily) to you all.

2:6 Sufficient to such a one is this punishment which was inflicted by the many;

2:7 so that contrariwise ye should rather forgive him and comfort him, lest by any means such a one should be swallowed up with his overmuch sorrow.

2:8 Wherefore I beseech you to confirm your love toward him.

2:9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye are obedient in all things.

2:10 But to whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also: for what I also have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, for your sakes have I forgiven it in the presence of Christ;

2:11 that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

2:12 Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ, and when a door was opened unto me in the Lord,

2:13 I had no relief for my spirit, because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I went forth into Macedonia.

2:14 But thanks be unto God, who always leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest through us the savor of his knowledge in every place.

2:15 For we are a sweet savor of Christ unto God, in them that are saved, and in them that perish;

2:16 to the one a savor from death unto death; to the other a savor from life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?

2:17 For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ.

3:1 Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? or need we, as do some, epistles of commendation to you or from you?

3:2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men;

3:3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh.

3:4 And such confidence have we through Christ to God-ward:

3:5 not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God;

3:6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.