A song of ascents. ²  O Lord, for David’s sake remember all his strenuous effort, ³ 

The one who increases his wealth by increasing interest ¹  gathers it for someone who is gracious ²  to the needy.

What benefit ¹  do people ²  get from all the effort which ³  they expend ⁴  on earth? ⁵ 

So I began to despair ¹  about all the fruit of ²  my labor ³  for which I worked so hard ⁴  on earth. ⁵ 

Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil ¹  and chasing the wind.

All of man’s labor is for nothing more than ¹  to fill his stomach ²  – yet his appetite ³  is never satisfied!

You conceive straw, ¹  you give birth to chaff; your breath is a fire that destroys you. ² 

or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ¹  (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another.

If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward.

Do not seek your own good, but the good of the other person.

I fear for you that my work for you may have been in vain.

for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.

Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, ¹  for without it no one will see the Lord.

Dear friend, ¹  you demonstrate faithfulness ²  by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers).

No one invokes ¹  your name, or makes an effort ²  to take hold of you. For you have rejected us ³  and handed us over to our own sins. ⁴ 

When the king heard this, ¹  he was very upset and began thinking about ²  how he might rescue Daniel. Until late afternoon ³  he was struggling to find a way to rescue him.

then I discerned all that God has done: ¹  No one really comprehends what happens ²  on earth. ³  Despite all human ⁴  efforts to discover it, no one can ever grasp ⁵  it. ⁶  Even if ⁷  a wise person claimed ⁸  that he understood, he would not really comprehend ⁹  it.

But if you are going to deal ¹  with me like this, then kill me immediately. ²  If I have found favor in your sight then do not let me see my trouble.” ³ 

and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether or not there are forests in it. And be brave, ¹  and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the time of year ²  for the first ripe grapes. ³