Formation Journal Reading Plan

6:1 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it [is] common among men:

6:2 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.

6:3 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.

6:4 For he cometh in with vanity, and departeth in darkness, and his name shall be covered with darkness.

6:5 Moreover he hath not seen the sun, nor known [any thing]: this hath more rest than the other.

6:6 Yea, though he live a thousand years twice [told], yet hath he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

6:7 All the labour of man [is] for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled.

6:8 For what hath the wise more than the fool? what hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living?

6:9 Better [is] the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this [is] also vanity and vexation of spirit.

6:10 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.

6:11 Seeing there be many things that increase vanity, what [is] man the better?

6:12 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?

7:1 A good name [is] better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

7:2 [It is] better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that [is] the end of all men; and the living will lay [it] to his heart.

7:3 Sorrow [is] better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

7:4 The heart of the wise [is] in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools [is] in the house of mirth.

7:5 [It is] better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.

7:6 For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so [is] the laughter of the fool: this also [is] vanity.

7:7 Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.

7:8 Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit.

7:9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

7:10 Say not thou, What is [the cause] that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not inquire wisely concerning this.

7:11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance: and [by it there is] profit to them that see the sun.

7:12 For wisdom [is] a defence, [and] money [is] a defence: but the excellency of knowledge [is, that] wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

7:13 Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked?

7:14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

7:15 All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness.

7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself?

7:17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

7:18 [It is] good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.

7:19 Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty [men] which are in the city.

7:20 For [there is] not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

7:21 Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee:

7:22 For oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.

7:23 All this have I proved by wisdom: I said, I will be wise; but it [was] far from me.

7:24 That which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?

7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason [of things], and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness [and] madness:

7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart [is] snares and nets, [and] her hands [as] bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

7:27 Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, [counting] one by one, to find out the account:

7:28 Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.

7:29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

69:16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness [is] good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

69:17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.

69:18 Draw nigh unto my soul, [and] redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

69:19 Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries [are] all before thee.

69:20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked [for some] to take pity, but [there was] none; and for comforters, but I found none.

69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

69:22 Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap.

69:23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

69:24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

69:25 Let their habitation be desolate; [and] let none dwell in their tents.

69:26 For they persecute [him] whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.

69:27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

69:29 But I [am] poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

69:31 [This] also shall please the LORD better than an ox [or] bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

69:32 The humble shall see [this, and] be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

69:33 For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.

69:34 Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and every thing that moveth therein.

69:35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.

69:36 The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

3:7 But if the ministration of death, written [and] engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which [glory] was to be done away:

3:8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

3:9 For if the ministration of condemnation [be] glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

3:10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

3:11 For if that which is done away [was] glorious, much more that which remaineth [is] glorious.

3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

3:13 And not as Moses, [which] put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which [vail] is done away in Christ.

3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord [is], there [is] liberty.

3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, [even] as by the Spirit of the Lord.

4:1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;

4:2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

4:5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.

4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to [give] the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

4:8 [We are] troubled on every side, yet not distressed; [we are] perplexed, but not in despair;

4:9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

4:10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

4:11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

4:12 So then death worketh in us, but life in you.

4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

4:14 Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present [us] with you.

4:15 For all things [are] for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

4:16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward [man] is renewed day by day.

4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding [and] eternal weight of glory;

4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen [are] temporal; but the things which are not seen [are] eternal.