Banchory Christian Fellowship Church
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12
English Standard Version Anglicised
The Vanity of Wealth and Honour
8 If 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. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.[a]
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a labourer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 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 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 gain is there to him who toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment[b] 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 lot. 19 Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is 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 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honour, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that 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 seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds 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 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.[d] 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind.
10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to 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 vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?
Footnotes
27th August 2023 - ”GOD KEEPS HIS WORD” - Exodus 12:29-51
20th August 2023 - ”Jesus Comes To Restore” - John 3:16-18
13th August 2023 - ”Finding Refuge With The King” - Psalm 16
6th August 2023 - ”Peter’s Denial & Restoration” - John 18:15-27 & 21:15-19
30th July 2023 - ”Peter’s Call & Confession” - Luke 5:1-11 & 9:18-20
23rd July 2023 - ”From Glory to Glory via Suffering” - Matthew 17:1-13
16th July 2023 - ”LORD OVER SICKNESS & DEATH” - Mark 5:21-43
9th July 2023 - ”Jesus the Great Restorer” - Mark 5:1-20
2nd July 2023 - ”God’s Unbreakable Promise” - Jeremiah 33:14-26
25th June 2023 - ”The Saving Power of the Lamb” - Exodus 12:1-32
18th June 2023 - ”God’s Word or God’s Judgement” - Exodus 10:21 - 11:10
11th June 2023 - ”None Like Him” - Exodus 9
4th June 2023 - ”The Living God in the Lion’s Den” - Daniel 6
28th May 2023 - ”God’s Great Acts of Judgement” - Exodus 7:1-25
21st May 2023 - ”WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?” - Exodus 5:1 - 6:13
14th May 2022 - EQUIPPING GOD’s SERVANT” - Exodus 4:18-31
7th May 2023 - ”MEET THE TRUE KING” - Hebrews 1:1-9
30th April 2023 - ”DOUBT YOURSELF NOT GOD” -- Exodus 4:1-17
23rd April 2023 - ”A WORD YOU CAN TRUST” - Psalm 119:89-104
16th April 2023 - ”What’s in a name?” - Exodus 3:7-22
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