Ecclesiastes 5:12-8:7

English Standard Version

¹² Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

^13 (A)There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, ¹⁴ and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. ^15 (B)As 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. ¹⁶ This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what ^(C)gain is there to him who ^(D)toils for the wind? ¹⁷ Moreover, all his days he ^(E)eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.

¹⁸ Behold, what I have seen to be ^(F)good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment^[a] in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his ^(G)lot. ¹⁹ Everyone also to whom ^(H)God has given ^(I)wealth and possessions ^(J)and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is ^(K)the gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

6 ^(L)There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: ² a man ^(M)to whom ^(N)God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he ^(O)lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God ^(P)does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity;^[b] it is a grievous evil. ³ If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that ^(Q)the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's ^(R)good things, and he also has no ^(S)burial, I say that ^(T)a stillborn child is better off than he. ⁴ For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. ⁵ Moreover, it has not ^(U)seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds ^(V)rest rather than he. ⁶ Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy^[c] no good—do not all go to the one place?

^7 (W)All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.^{[d] 8} For what advantage has the wise man ^(X)over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? ⁹ Better ^(Y)is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is ^(Z)vanity and a striving after wind.

¹⁰ Whatever has come to be has ^(AA)already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to ^(AB)dispute with one stronger than he. ¹¹ The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? ¹² For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his ^(AC)vain^[e] life, which he passes like ^(AD)a shadow? For who can tell man what will be ^(AE)after him under the sun?

The Contrast of Wisdom and Folly

^14 (AW)In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, ^(AX)so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

¹⁵ In my ^(AY)vain^[h] life I have seen everything. There is ^(AZ)a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who ^(BA)prolongs his life in his evildoing. ¹⁶ Be not overly righteous, and do not ^(BB)make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? ¹⁷ Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. ^(BC)Why should you die before your time? ¹⁸ It is good that you should take hold of ^(BD)this, and from ^(BE)that ^(BF)withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.

^19 (BG)Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

²⁰ Surely ^(BH)there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

²¹ Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear ^(BI)your servant cursing you. ²² Your heart knows that ^(BJ)many times you yourself have cursed others.

²³ All this I have tested by wisdom. ^(BK)I said, “I will be wise,” but it was far from me. ²⁴ That which has been is far off, and ^(BL)deep, very deep; ^(BM)who can find it out?

^25 (BN)I turned my heart to know and to search out and to seek wisdom and the scheme of things, and to know the wickedness of folly and the foolishness that is madness. ²⁶ And I find something more ^(BO)bitter than death: ^(BP)the woman whose heart is ^(BQ)snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but ^(BR)the sinner is taken by her. ²⁷ Behold, this is what I found, says ^(BS)the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— ²⁸ which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. ^(BT)One man among a thousand I found, but ^(BU)a woman among all these I have not found. ²⁹ See, this alone I found, that ^(BV)God made man upright, but ^(BW)they have sought out many schemes.

Keep the King's Command

² I say:^[i] Keep the king's command, because of ^(BZ)God's oath to him.^{[j] 3} Be not hasty to ^(CA)go from his presence. Do not take your stand in an evil cause, for he does whatever he pleases. ⁴ For the word of the king is supreme, and ^(CB)who may say to him, “What are you doing?” ⁵ Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way.^{[k] 6} For there is a time and a way ^(CC)for everything, although man's trouble^[l] lies heavy on him. ⁷ For he ^(CD)does not know what is to be, for ^(CE)who can tell him how it will be?