Proper 13

Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:11

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15   What is crooked cannot be made straight,
    and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18   For in much wisdom is much vexation,
    and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

2:1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?” 3 I searched with my heart how to cheer my body with wine—my heart still guiding me with wisdom—and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the children of man to do under heaven during the few days of their life. 4 I made great works. I built houses and planted vineyards for myself. 5 I made myself gardens and parks, and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees. 6 I made myself pools from which to water the forest of growing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves, and had slaves who were born in my house. I had also great possessions of herds and flocks, more than any who had been before me in Jerusalem. 8 I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I got singers, both men and women, and many concubines, the delight of the sons of man.

9 So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. 10 And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. 11 Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.

Psalm 49:1-12, (13-21)

1 Hear this, all you peoples;*
  ponder it with your ears, all who dwell in the world,

2 High and low, rich and poor,*
  everyone with his neighbor.

3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom,*
  and my heart shall muse on understanding.

4 I will incline my ear to a parable,*
  and declare my dark sayings with the harp.

5 Why should I fear in the days of wickedness,*
  and when the wicked at my heels encompass me round about?

6 There are some who put their trust in their goods,*
  and boast in the multitude of their riches.

7 But no one can deliver his brother,*
  nor pay unto God a price for him;

8 For it is so costly to redeem their souls,*
  that we should never have enough to pay it,

9 So that they should live for ever,*
  and should not see the grave.

10 For we see that wise men die, as well as the ignorant and foolish;*
  they perish alike and leave their riches for others.

11 And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever, and that their dwelling places shall endure from one generation to another,*
  and they call lands after their own names.

12 Man is like an ox that has no understanding;*
  he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the way of their foolishness,*
  yet their posterity praise their sayings.

14 Like sheep they are appointed to die, and death shall be their shepherd;*
  they shall go down straight into the sepulcher.

15 Their beauty shall consume away in the grave,*
  which shall be their dwelling place for ever.

16 But God shall save me from the power of death,*
  for he shall deliver my soul.

17 Be not envious if one is made rich,*
  or if the glory of his house is increased,

18 For he shall carry nothing away with him when he dies,*
  neither shall his glory follow him.

19 For while he lived, he counted himself happy,*
  and so long as he did well for himself, people spoke well of him.

20 He shall follow the generation of his fathers*
  and shall never see the light.

21 Those who are honored but have no understanding*
  are like the beasts that perish.

Colossians 3:5-17

5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”