Ecclesiastes 5:8-19
1599 Geneva Bible
8 And the [a]abundance of the earth is over all: the king [b]also consisteth by the field that is tilled.
9 He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver, and he that loveth riches, shall be without the fruit thereof: this is also vanity.
10 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good cometh to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eyes?
11 The sleep of him that travaileth, is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the [c]satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
12 There is an evil sickness that I have seen under the sun: to wit, riches [d]reserved to the owners thereof for their evil.
13 And these riches perish by evil travail, and he begetteth a son, and in his [e]hand is nothing.
14 (A)As he came forth of his mother’s belly, he shall return naked to go as he came, and shall bear away nothing of his labor, which he hath caused to pass by his hand.
15 And this also is an evil sickness, that in all points as he came, so shall he go, and what profit hath he that he hath travailed for the [f]wind?
16 Also all his days he eateth in [g]darkness with much grief, and in his sorrow and anger.
17 Behold then, what I have seen good, that it is comely to [h]eat, and to drink, and to take pleasure in all his labor, wherein he travaileth under the sun, the whole number of the days of his life, which God giveth him: for this is his portion.
18 Also to every man to whom God hath given riches and treasures, and giveth him power to eat thereof, and to take his part, and to enjoy his labor: this is the gifts of God.
19 Surely he will not much remember the days of his [i]life, because God answereth to the joy of his heart.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 The earth is to be preferred above all things which appertain to this life.
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Kings and Princes cannot maintain their estate without tillage, which thing commendeth the excellency of tillage.
- Ecclesiastes 5:11 That is, his great abundance of riches, or the surfeiting, which cometh by his great feeding.
- Ecclesiastes 5:12 When covetous men heap up riches, which turn to their destruction.
- Ecclesiastes 5:13 He doth not enjoy his father’s riches.
- Ecclesiastes 5:15 Meaning, in vain, and without profit.
- Ecclesiastes 5:16 In affliction and grief of mind.
- Ecclesiastes 5:17 Read Eccl. 3:22.
- Ecclesiastes 5:19 He will take no great thought for the pains that he hath endured in time past.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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