Ecclesiastes 5:8 - 5:20

The Vanity of Riches

8 If you see oppression of the poor and robbery of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished over the matter; for a lofty one keeps watch over another lofty one, and there are loftier ones over them. 9 But the advantage of the land in everything is this—a king committed to a cultivated field. 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its produce. This too is vanity. 11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the success to their masters except to look on with their eyes? 12 The sleep of the laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the satisfaction of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. 13 There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their master to his own evil demise. 14 And those riches were lost through a bad endeavor; and he became the father of a son, but there was nothing in his hand for him. 15 As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will carry nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can bring in his hand. 16 This also is a sickening evil—exactly as a man came, so will he go. So what is the advantage to him who labors for the wind? 17 Also, all his days he eats in darkness with much vexation, and his sickness and anger. 18 Here is what I have seen to be good, which is beautiful: to eat, to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to take up his portion and be glad in his labor; this is the gift of God. 20 For he will not remember much the days of his life because God allows him to occupy himself with the gladness of his heart.

« Eccles 4 | Eccles 5 | Eccles 6 »