Ecclesiastes 5:12-17

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.

¹⁸ Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. ¹⁹ And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. ²⁰ God keeps such people so busy enjoying life that they take no time to brood over the past.