Verse 3

I thought deeply about the effects of indulging myself with wine(all the while my mind was guiding me with wisdom) and the effects of behaving foolishly, so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

Referenced Verses

  • Prov 20:1 : 1 Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler; whoever goes astray by them is not wise.
  • Eccl 1:17 : 17 So I decided to discern the benefit of wisdom and knowledge over foolish behavior and ideas; however, I concluded that even this endeavor is like trying to chase the wind!
  • Eccl 6:12 : 12 For no one knows what is best for a person during his life– during the few days of his fleeting life– for they pass away like a shadow. Nor can anyone tell him what the future will hold for him on earth.
  • Eccl 12:13 : 13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
  • Prov 31:4-5 : 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink, 5 lest they drink and forget what is decreed, and remove from all the poor their legal rights.
  • Eph 5:18 : 18 And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit,
  • Matt 6:24 : 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
  • 2 Cor 6:15-17 : 15 And what agreement does Christ have with Beliar? Or what does a believer share in common with an unbeliever? 16 And what mutual agreement does the temple of God have with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said,“I will live in them and will walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 Therefore“come out from their midst, and be separate,” says the Lord,“and touch no unclean thing, and I will welcome you,
  • Eccl 7:18 : 18 It is best to take hold of one warning without letting go of the other warning; for the one who fears God will follow both warnings.
  • Eccl 7:25 : 25 True Righteousness and Wisdom Are Virtually Nonexistent I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.
  • Eccl 2:24 : 24 Enjoy Work and its Benefits There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.
  • Eccl 3:12-13 : 12 Enjoy Life in the Present I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, 13 and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God.
  • Prov 23:29-35 : 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has dullness of the eyes? 30 Those who linger over wine, those who go looking for mixed wine. 31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. 32 Afterward it bites like a snake, and stings like a viper. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your mind will speak perverse things. 34 And you will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, and like one who lies down on the top of the rigging. 35 You will say,“They have struck me, but I am not harmed! They beat me, but I did not know it! When will I awake? I will look for another drink.”
  • Gen 47:9 : 9 Jacob said to Pharaoh,“All the years of my travels are 130. All the years of my life have been few and painful; the years of my travels are not as long as those of my ancestors.”
  • 1 Sam 25:36 : 36 When Abigail went back to Nabal, he was holding a banquet in his house like that of the king. Nabal was having a good time and was very intoxicated. She told him absolutely nothing until morning’s light.
  • Job 14:14 : 14 If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait until my release comes.
  • Ps 90:9-9 : 9 Yes, throughout all our days we experience your raging fury; the years of our lives pass quickly, like a sigh. 10 The days of our lives add up to seventy years, or eighty, if one is especially strong. But even one’s best years are marred by trouble and oppression. Yes, they pass quickly and we fly away. 11 Who can really fathom the intensity of your anger? Your raging fury causes people to fear you. 12 So teach us to consider our mortality, so that we might live wisely.