Ecclesiastes 4:1-16
Suffering, Hard Work and No Friends
I looked and saw how much people were suffering on this earth.
I saw the tears of those who are suffering.
They don’t have anyone to comfort them.
Power is on the side of those who treat them badly.
Those who are suffering don’t have anyone to comfort them.
Then I announced that those
who have already died
are happier than those
who are still alive.
But someone who hasn’t been born yet
is better off than the dead or the living.
That’s because that person hasn’t seen the evil things
that are done on earth.
I also saw that a person works hard and accomplishes a lot. But they do it only because they want what another person has. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.
Foolish people fold their hands and don’t work.
And that destroys them.
One handful with peace and quiet
is better than two handfuls with hard work.
Working too hard is like chasing the wind.
Again I saw something on earth that didn’t mean anything.
A man lived all by himself.
He didn’t have any sons or brothers.
His hard work never ended.
But he wasn’t happy with what he had.
“Who am I working so hard for?” he asked.
“Why don’t I get the things I enjoy?”
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
In fact, it’s a very bad deal!
Two people are better than one.
They can help each other in everything they do.
Suppose either of them falls down.
Then the one can help the other one up.
But suppose a person falls down and doesn’t have anyone to help them up.
Then feel sorry for that person!
Or suppose two people lie down together.
Then they’ll keep warm.
But how can one person keep warm alone?
One person could be overpowered.
But two people can stand up for themselves.
And a rope made out of three cords isn’t easily broken.
Getting Ahead Is Meaningless
A poor but wise young man is better off than an old but foolish king. That king doesn’t pay attention to a warning anymore. The young man might have come from prison to become king. Or he might have been born poor within the kingdom but still became king. I saw that everyone was following the young man who had become the new king. At first, all the people served him when he became king. But those who came later weren’t pleased with the way he was ruling. That doesn’t have any meaning either. It’s like chasing the wind.
Ecclesiastes 5:1-20
Keep Your Promise to God
Be careful what you say when you go to God’s house. Go there to listen. Don’t be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don’t even know it.
Don’t be too quick to speak.
Don’t be in a hurry to say anything to God.
God is in heaven. You are on earth.
So use only a few words when you speak.
Many worries result in dreams.
Many words result in foolish talk.
When you make a promise to God, don’t wait too long to carry it out. He isn’t pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised. It is not good to make a promise and not keep it. It is better to make no promise at all. Don’t let your mouth cause you to sin. Don’t say to the temple messenger, “My promise was a mistake.” Why should God be angry with what you say? Why should he destroy what you have done? Dreaming too much and talking too much are meaningless. So have respect for God.
Riches Are Meaningless
Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn’t right or fair. Don’t be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Officials who are even higher are watching both of them. All of them take what the land produces. And the king himself takes his share from the fields.
Anyone who loves money never has enough.
Anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with what they get.
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
As more and more goods are made,
more and more people use them up.
So how can those goods benefit their owners?
All they can do is look at them with desire.
The sleep of a worker is sweet.
It doesn’t matter whether they eat a little or a lot.
But the wealth of rich people
keeps them awake at night.
I’ve seen something very evil on earth.
It’s when wealth is stored up
and then brings harm to its owners.
It’s also when wealth is lost
because of an unwise business deal.
Then there won’t be anything left
for the owners’ children.
Everyone is born naked.
They come into the world with nothing.
And they go out of it with nothing.
They don’t get anything from their work
that they can take with them.
Here’s something else that is very evil.
Everyone is born, and everyone dies.
And what do they get for their work?
Nothing. It’s like working for the wind.
All their lives they eat in darkness.
Their lives are full of trouble, suffering and anger.
I have seen what is good. It is good for a person to eat and drink. It’s good for them to be satisfied with their hard work on this earth. That’s what they should do during the short life God has given them. That’s what God made them for. Sometimes God gives a person wealth and possessions. God makes it possible for that person to enjoy them. God helps them accept the life he has given them. God helps them to be happy in their work. All these things are gifts from God. A person like that doesn’t have to think about how their life is going. That’s because God fills their heart with joy.
Ecclesiastes 6:1-12
I’ve seen another evil thing on this earth. And it’s a heavy load on human beings. God gives some people wealth, possessions and honor. They have everything their hearts desire. But God doesn’t let them enjoy those things. Instead, strangers enjoy them. This doesn’t have any meaning. It’s a very evil thing.
A man might have a hundred children. He might live a long time. But suppose he can’t enjoy his wealth. And suppose he isn’t buried in the proper way. Then it doesn’t matter how long he lives. I’m telling you that a baby that is born dead is better off than that man is. That kind of birth doesn’t have any meaning. The baby dies in darkness and leaves this world. And in darkness it is forgotten. It didn’t even see the sun. It didn’t know anything at all. But it has more rest than that man does. And that’s true even if he lives for 2,000 years but doesn’t get to enjoy his wealth. All people die and go to the grave, don’t they?
People eat up everything they work to get.
But they are never satisfied.
What advantage do wise people have
over those who are foolish?
What do poor people gain
by knowing how to act toward others?
Being satisfied with what you have
is better than always wanting more.
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
It’s like chasing the wind.
God has already planned what now exists.
He has already decided what a human being is.
No one can argue with someone
who is stronger.
The more words people use,
the less meaning there is.
And that doesn’t help anyone.
Who knows what’s good for a person? They live for only a few meaningless days. They pass through life like a shadow. Who can tell them what will happen on earth after they are gone?
