International Children’s Bible

Ecclesiastes 5:10-20 International Children’s Bible (ICB)

10. The person who loves moneywill never have all the money he wants.The person who loves wealthwill not be satisfied when he gets it.This is also useless.

11. The more wealth a person has,the more friends he has to help him spend it.So what does he really gain?He gains nothing except to look at his riches.

12. A man who works hard sleeps in peace.It is not important if he has little or much to eat.But a rich person worries about his wealth.He cannot sleep.

13. I have seen something unfair here on earth:A person suffers harm from saving up his money.

14. Then he loses it all in a bad deal.So he has nothingto give to his son.

15. A person comes into this world with nothing.And when he dies, he leaves with nothing.In spite of all his hard work,he leaves exactly as he came.

16. This, too, is unfair:He leaves exactly as he came.So what does he gain from chasing the wind?

17. All he gets are days filled with sadness and sorrow.He ends up sick, defeated and angry.

18. I have seen what is best for a person to do here on earth. He should eat and drink and enjoy his work. This is because the life God has given him on earth is short.

19. God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and property he gives them. He also gives them the ability to accept their state in life and enjoy their work.

20. Such people do not worry much about how short life is. This is because God keeps them busy with the things they love to do.