Ecclesiastes 5:8-16
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 5
8If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. 9After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.
10One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility.
11When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look at them?
12The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.
13There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth being hoarded by its owner to his detriment.
14When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.
15As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.
16This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind?
King James Version
9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
12The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 5
8If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. 9The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.
10The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.
11When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes?
12The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.
13There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed.
15As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands.
16This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind?
New Living Translation
Chapter 5
8Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. 9Even the king milks the land for his own profit!
10Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!
11The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth — except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers!
13There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver.
14Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children.
15We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us.
English Standard Version
Chapter 5
8If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.
10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
11When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt,
14and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
15As he came from his mother 's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand.
16This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?
New International Version
Chapter 5
8If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
11As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?
12The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
13I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.
New King James Version
10He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes?
12The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
13 There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.
14But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.
16And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?
