Logos Bible Study

Ecclesiastes 5:13–15

Legacy Standard BibleOther versions

English

Arabic

Czech

French

German

Hebrew

Hungarian

Italian

Korean

Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Simplified Chinese

Spanish

Traditional Chinese

13There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ariches being 1hoarded by their master to his own evil demise.

14And those riches were lost through a bad endeavor; and he became the father of a son, but there was nothing in his hand for him.

15aAs he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will bcarry nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can bring in his hand.

Read in Logos

Footnotes

  1. 1Lit guarded

Cross references

  1. aEccl 6:2
  2. aJob 1:21
  3. bPs 49:17; 1 Tim 6:7

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 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.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,

or wealth lost through some misfortune,

so that when they have children

there is nothing left for them to inherit.

Everyone 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.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. As 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.

NLTNew Living Translation

There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money 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. We 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.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded by its owner to his harm. That wealth was lost in a bad venture. Although he has borne a child, he has nothing to leave to him. Just as he came from his mother’s womb naked, he will depart just as he came; he will take nothing with him for his toil.

KJV 1900King James Version

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.