07 April 2015

EJ&T Ecclesiastes: Wear white clothes, drink wine with a merry heart, and cast your bread upon the waters

In the Every Jot and Tittle project, I am listing all of the Bible's commandments from Genesis to Revelation, in accordance with Jesus's words in Matthew 5:18-19. I have no idea how many commandments I'll find, but Jewish tradition claims there are 613. See here for a list of those that I've found so far.

  1. When you go to the house of God, listen rather than give the evil sacrifice of fools.
  2. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Ecclesiastes 5:1

  3. Don't be hasty to say things to God. The less you say to him the better.
  4. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.Ecclesiastes 5:2

  5. Don't say, "Why were things better in the good old days?"
  6. Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. Ecclesiastes 7:10

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

  9. Don't be overly righteous.
  10. Be not righteous over much. Ecclesiastes 7:16

  11. Don't be overly wise.
  12. Neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Ecclesiastes 7:16

  13. Don't be overly wicked.
  14. Be not over much wicked. Ecclesiastes 7:17

  15. Don't be foolish.
  16. Neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time? Ecclesiastes 7:17

  17. Don't pay attention to everything people say.
  18. Take no heed unto all words that are spoken. Ecclesiastes 7:21

  19. Keep the king's commandment.
  20. Keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God.Ecclesiastes 8:2

  21. Don't be hasty to leave the king's sight.
  22. Be not hasty to go out of his [the king's] sight. Ecclesiastes 8:3

  23. Don't stand in an evil thing.
  24. Stand not in an evil thing. Ecclesiastes 8:3

  25. Eat bread with joy and drink wine with a merry heart.
  26. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. Ecclesiastes 9:7

  27. Always wear white clothes.
  28. Let thy garments be always white. Ecclesiastes 9:8

  29. Always have some ointment on your head.
  30. Let thy head lack no ointment. Ecclesiastes 9:8

  31. Live life to the fullest. It's the only life you'll ever have.
  32. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9:10

  33. Don't curse the rich.
  34. Curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Ecclesiastes 10:20

  35. Cast your bread upon the waters.
  36. Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Ecclesiastes 11:1

  37. Give some to seven or eight.
  38. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. Ecclesiastes 11:2

  39. Be happy while you are young.
  40. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Remove sorrow from thy heart. Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

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