Ecclesiastes 5:9-20

9All of them take something for themselves from the land. The king himself receives his share of the crops.

10People who love money never have enough. They may get more and more valuable things, but they are never happy. This also has no purpose.

11As a person's money becomes more, there are more people who want a share of it. Money does not help the people who have a lot of it. They see it, but it quickly disappears.

12Someone who has worked hard all day will sleep well at night. That is true even if they have not had much food to eat. But the rich man worries about his riches. So he does not sleep well.

13I have seen another terrible thing that happens on the earth. Some people may store their riches, but it does not help them in a time of trouble.

14Something may happen in the future that causes their money to disappear. After they die, no money remains for their children.

15When people are born, they bring nothing with them. When they die, they take nothing away with them. All their hard work finally leaves them with nothing.

16This is also a terrible thing to happen. People leave this earth with nothing, as they came into it with nothing. All their hard work has been useless, like someone who tries to catch the wind.

17Even if people are rich, they do not enjoy their food. They suffer all through their lives. They are upset, angry and sick.

18But I realized that there is one good thing for people to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy the hard work that we do on the earth. That is what God wants us to do during the short time that he has given us on this earth.

19God gives some people a lot of money and valuable things. He helps them to enjoy those things and to be happy with their work. All of this is a gift from God.

20People like that do not think a lot about what has happened in their lives. God helps them to be happy as they are busy with their work.