Ecclesiastes / Injustice and the Emptiness of Wealth and Desire

Injustice and the Emptiness of Wealth and Desire

Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12

Chapter 5

⁸ And there is an advantage of land in all—a king for a field; we will serve. ⁹ One who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and who loves abundance—it will not come. Also this Hebel. ¹⁰ In the multiplying of the good, its eaters multiply, and what profit to its owner except seeing of his eyes. ¹¹ Sweet is the sleep of the servant whether he eats little or much, but the sated one to the rich man does not grant him to sleep. ¹² There is an evil sickness I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its owner to his evil. ¹³ And that wealth perished in a bad matter, and he begot a son, and there is nothing in his hand. ¹⁴ As he came out from the womb of his mother naked, so he will return to go as he came, and nothing at all he will carry away in his toil which he will go in his hand. ¹⁵ And also—this is moral evil, sickening, all the companionship that comes, so he goes. And what profit to him that he toils for the Spirit? ¹⁶ Also all his days in darkness he will eat, and much anger and his sickness and wrath. ¹⁷ Behold what I have seen: it is good to eat and to drink and to see good in all his toil that he labors under the sun, the number of the days of his life which God has given him, for it is his portion. ¹⁸ Also every man whom God has given wealth and possessions and has caused him to rule to eat from it and to bear his portion and to rejoice in his labor—this is a gift of God. ¹⁹ for he will not remember much the days of his living because God answers in the joy of his heart.

Chapter 6

¹ There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it is great upon humanity. ² A man to whom God gives riches and assets and glory, and there is no lack to his soul from all that he desires, but God does not empower him to eat from it, for a foreign man eats it—this is vapor and it is an evil sickness. ³ If a man fathers a hundred and lives many years, and much that his days of his years exist, and his nephesh does not satisfy from the good, and also burial was not to him, I said better than him the miscarried one. ⁴ For in Hebel he comes and in darkness he goes and in darkness his Name is covered. ⁵ Moreover, he did not see the sun, and he did not know rest—for this from this. ⁶ And if he lives two thousand years and does not see good, do not all go to one place? ⁷ All the toil of humanity is for his mouth, and yet the soul is not filled. ⁸ For what is superior for the wise man over the fool? What is there for the poor man who knows how to walk before the living? ⁹ Better the sight of eyes than the walking of life force, also this הבל and evil of Spirit. ¹⁰ What has been—its name has already been called, and it is known that he is Adam, and he cannot judge with one stronger than him. ¹¹ For there are many words, multiplying vanity—what profit to humanity? ¹² For who knows what is good for man in life, the number of the days of his life of vanity, and he makes them like a shadow? Who will tell man what will be after him under the sun?