Queen's Road Cell

  Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2  before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3  in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4  and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5  they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— 6  before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the w...

  37  “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38  give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” 39  He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40  A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. 41  Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye. ( Luke 6:37-42)   Introduc...

  5  As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything. 6  In the morning sow your seed, and at evening withhold not your hand, for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good. 7  Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun. 8  So if a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity. 9  Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10  Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity. (Ecc 11:5-10) 1. What does Ecclesiastes teach us about the human sprit in  3:21, 1...

  Cast your bread upon the waters,      for you will find it after many days. 2  Give a portion to seven, or even to eight,      for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. 3  If the clouds are full of rain,      they empty themselves on the earth, and if a tree falls to the south or to the north,      in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie. 4  He who observes the wind will not sow,      and he who regards the clouds will not reap. (Ecc 10:1-4) Qoheleth continues with his reflection on how to live wisely. 1. What might it mean to "cast your bread upon the waters"? (v.1-2) There are 3 possible interpretations of this difficult verse: It refers to giving to the poor, and that this whole section is on charity. It refers to maritime commerce, where long journeys and uncertainties were common It refers more generally to diversifying investments and ef...

  12  The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor,      but the lips of a fool consume him. 13  The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,      and the end of his talk is evil madness. 14  A fool multiplies words,      though no man knows what is to be,      and who can tell him what will be after him? 15  The toil of a fool wearies him,      for he does not know the way to the city. 16  Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,      and your princes feast in the morning! 17  Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility,      and your princes feast at the proper time,      for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18  Through sloth the roof sinks in,      and through indolence the house leaks. 19  Bread is made for laughter, ...

Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off a stench;      so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. 2  A wise man's heart inclines him to the right,      but a fool's heart to the left. 3  Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,      and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 4  If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place,      for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. 5  There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: 6  folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7  I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. 8  He who digs a pit will fall into it,      and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. 9  He who quarries stones is hurt by them,      and he who spli...

  Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. 12  For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them. 13  I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14  There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15  But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16  But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man's wisdom is despised and his words are not heard. 17  The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the shou...