Ecclesiastes 5:14 — Bible Verse (KJV)

“But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.”

Ecclesiastes 5:14 — King James Version (KJV), 1611

Ecclesiastes 5:14 in 6 Bible Translations

Read Ecclesiastes 5:14 in the King James Version (KJV) and 5 other free, public-domain translations side by side.

Ecclesiastes 5:14 WEB — World English Bible (2000)

“Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.”

Ecclesiastes 5:14 — World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 5:14 ASV — American Standard Version (1901)

“and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. ”

Ecclesiastes 5:14 — American Standard Version

Ecclesiastes 5:14 YLT — Young's Literal Translation (1862)

“And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!”

Ecclesiastes 5:14 — Young's Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 5:14 DBY — Darby Translation (1890)

“or those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. ”

Ecclesiastes 5:14 — Darby Translation

Ecclesiastes 5:14 GEN — Geneva Bible (1599)

“As hee came foorth of his mothers belly, he shall returne naked to goe as he came, and shall beare away nothing of his labour, which hee hath caused to passe by his hand.”

Ecclesiastes 5:14 — Geneva Bible

Ecclesiastes 5:14 in Context — Ecclesiastes 5

12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

16 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?

Read the full chapter: Ecclesiastes 5 — Peace with God Through Faith →

What Does Ecclesiastes 5:14 Mean?

Ecclesiastes 5:14 is a verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes, part of the Old Testament. It appears in Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Use The Living Sword's word-by-word study mode to explore every word in the original Hebrew and Aramaic.

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