Rachel Workman: 12 People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.
13 There is another serious problem I
have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. 14 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. 15 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. That's pretty simply put. It's
very easy to get caught up in this world and the riches of it.
16 And this, too, is a very serious
problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their
hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. 17 Throughout
their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.
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Pat
Bell: I have witnessed this
in today's world. Some people with wealth leave huge sums to a church at the
end of their life cycle. Thinking they are buying their way into heaven
somehow. How disappointed they must have been
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John Burnett: The sleep of the working
man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the [a]full stomach of the rich man does not
allow him to sleep. The reward for hard work is pleasant sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have
seen under the sun: riches being [b]hoarded by their owner to his
hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through [c]a bad investment and he had fathered a
son, then there was nothing [d]to support him. 15 As
he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He
will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his
hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a
man [e]is born, thus will he [f]die. So what is the advantage to
him who toils for the wind? 17 Throughout his
life he also eats in darkness with great vexation,
sickness and anger. Hoarding money hurts the owner. We did not bring any into the
world with us and we cannot take any money with us and unless we have been
faithful with our money we have no advantage. The day of judgement will
be worse for those who love money for they will eat in darkness forever with
great vexation, sickness and anger.
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Tomorrow’s reading for Ecclesiastes
5:18-20.
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