Ecclesiastes 5:8–15

THE REALITIES OF WEALTH

⁸If you see oppression of the poor^a and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation,^b 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.^Bc

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.^{d 14}That 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;^e he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands.