If a person causes trouble for his family, then he will gain nothing. And in the end, the foolish person will be forced to serve the wise person.
Ecclesiastes 5:16 - Easy To Read Version That is very sad. He will leave the world the same way he came. So, what does a person gain from his “trying to catch the wind”? Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? Amplified Bible - Classic Edition And this also is a serious and severe evil–that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he who labors for the wind? [I Tim. 6:6.] American Standard Version (1901) And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind? Common English Bible This too is a sickening tragedy: they must pass on just as they arrived. What then do they gain from working so hard for wind? Catholic Public Domain Version All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow. |
If a person causes trouble for his family, then he will gain nothing. And in the end, the foolish person will be forced to serve the wise person.
Do people really gain anything from all the hard work they do in this life? {\cf2\super [2]} \{No!\}
But then I looked at all the things I had done. I thought about all the hard work I did. I decided it was all a waste of time! It was like trying to catch the wind. {\cf2\super [8]} There is nothing to gain from all the things we do in this life.
There is a very sad thing that I have seen happen in this life. A person saves his money for the future. {\cf2\super [26]}
In the same way, we have pain.\par We give birth, but only to wind.\par We don’t make new people\par for the world.\par We don’t bring salvation to the land.\par
“The priests did not ask,\par ‘Where is the Lord?’\par The people that know the law\par did not want to know me.\par The leaders of the people of Israel\par turned against me.\par The prophets prophesied {\cf2\super [5]} in the name\par of the false god Baal. {\cf2\super [6]} \par They worshiped worthless idols.”\par
The Israelites \{did a foolish thing\}—it was like trying to plant the wind. But \{they will get only troubles\}—they will harvest a whirlwind. The grain in the fields will grow. It will give no food. Even if it grew something, strangers would eat it.
Earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good always and gives you life forever. The Son of Man {\cf2\super [87]} will give you that food. God the Father showed that he is with the Son of Man.”
to follow the leading of people like these, and any other person that works and serves with them.
Idols are only statues—they can’t help you! So don’t worship them. Idols can’t help you or save you. They are nothing!