The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version

by Michael D. Coogan

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.

good

But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

echoed in beatitudes

The wicked plot against the righteous, and gnash their teeth at them; 13but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming.

the righteous are generous and keep giving; 22for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23Our stepsa are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in ourb way;

Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever.

Buddhist pure precepts

The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.

you will look on the destruction of the wicked.

Mark the blameless, and behold the upright, for there is posterity for the peaceable. 38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;

he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.

make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.

waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2He drew me up from the desolate pit,a out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. 11Do not, O Lord, withhold

pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; O Lord, make haste to help me. 14Let all those be put to shame and confusion who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt. 15Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 16But may all who seek

lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?

I lift up my eyes unto the hills

might “encourage hedonism” (8.1) and “smacked of heresy”

Hun!

late Persian and early Hellenistic

book's overall perspective on the world as without any underlying or overarching cohesion.

vibrant ephemerality.

Ecclesiastes counsels readers not to strive for ideals of fullness, stability, or wisdom. Humans should instead invest in social relationships and productive labor while they are capable of enjoying their desires.

and hurries to the place where it rises.

Hurry sundown - see what tomorrow brings...song i know sung by the Insect Trust

there is nothing new under the sun.

See, this is new”?

Much new since 20th century

For in much wisdom is much vexation,

wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.

3

The is a season...

place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there as well.

God is testing them to show that they are but animals.

Look, the tears of the oppressed—with no one to comfort them! On

And I thought the dead, who have already died, more fortunate than the living, who are still alive;

back to this place. 11For

surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you

with hope. 12Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. 13When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, 14I will le...

The national catastrophe is thus made concrete,

as society disintegrates and people languish and die or are deported.

a catastrophe of incomprehensible proportion. Lamentations

Repentance, the antidote to sin, is mentioned but is not central—this is not penitential prayer; rather, the idea in Lamentations is that the punishment, even if deserved, is unbearable. The immediacy and magnitude of the punishment drowns out everything else.

Zion

Her princes have become like stags that find no pasture;

he has left me stunned, faint all day long.

My illness

in the house it is like death.

Jerusalem; “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?”

Nb

he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;

The anonymous author was likely a well-educated Hellenized Jew associated with one of the synagogues in Alexandria during the Roman occupation of Egypt (ca.

Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart; 2because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.

For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will leave foolish thoughts behind, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.

because God is witness of their inmost feelings, and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues.

unheard. 11Beware then of useless grumbling, and keep your tongue from slander;

because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange.

Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance.

Note well