14 or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on. 15 As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands. 16 This too is a grievous evil: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?
Ecclesiastes 5:14–16
Semantically similar passages
Psalms 49:16–18
16 Do not be amazed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases. 17 For when he dies, he will carry nothing away; his abundance will not follow him down. 18 Though in his lifetime he blesses his soul— and men praise you when you prosper—
Ecclesiastes 6:3–5
3 A man may father a hundred children and live for many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he is unsatisfied with his prosperity and does not even receive a proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For a stillborn child enters i…
Psalms 49:9–11
9 that he should live on forever and not see decay. 10 For it is clear that wise men die, and the foolish and the senseless both perish and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their graves are their eternal homes— their dwellings for endless generations— even though their…
1 Timothy 6:6–8
6 Of course, godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, so we cannot carry anything out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.
Ecclesiastes 2:20–22
20 So my heart began to despair over all the labor that I had done under the sun. 21 When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, and he must give his portion to a man who has not worked for it, this too is futile and a great evil. 22 For what…
Psalms 39:5–7
5 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah 6 Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul… 7 …
Ecclesiastes 4:7–9
7 Again, I saw futility under the sun. 8 There is a man all alone, without even a son or brother. And though there is no end to his labor, his eyes are still not content with his wealth: “For whom do I toil and bereave my soul of enjoyment?” This too is futile—a m…
Job 21:20–22
20 Let his eyes see his own destruction; let him drink for himself the wrath of the Almighty. 21 For what does he care about his household after him, when the number of his months has run out? 22 Can anyone teach knowledge to God, since He judges those on high?
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