Ecclesiastes 5:16

Updated Bible Version

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so he shall go: and what profit does he have that he labors for the wind?

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
This also is a sickening evil—exactly as a man came, so will he go. So what is the advantage to him who labors for the wind?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
This is a miserable plague, that he shall go euen as he came away: What helpeth it him then that he hath laboured in the wynde?

Darby Translation
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

New King James Version
And this also is a severe evil-- Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

Literal Translation
And this also is a painful evil, that in all, as he came, so shall he go. And what profit is to him who has labored for the wind?

Easy-to-Read Version
It is very sad that people leave the world just as they came. So what does a person gain from "trying to catch the wind"?

World English Bible
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

King James Version (1611)
And this also is a sore euill, that in all points as he came, so shall hee goe: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the winde?

King James Version
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?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
This is a miserable plage, yt he shal go awaye euen as he came. What helpeth it him then, yt he hath labored in the wynde?

Amplified Bible
This also is a grievous evil—exactly as he was born, so he shall die. So what advantage has he who labors for the wind?

American Standard Version
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?

Bible in Basic English
And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?

Webster's Bible Translation
And this also [is] a grievous evil, [that] in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath labored for the wind?

New English Translation
This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

Contemporary English Version
That's terribly unfair. They leave the world just as they came into it. They gained nothing from running after the wind.

Complete Jewish Bible
All his life he eats in darkness, in frustration, in sickness and in anger.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And this also is an euill sickenes that in all pointes as he came, so shall he goe, and what profit hath he that he hath traueiled for the winde?

George Lamsa Translation
And this also is a grievous evil; for just as he came, so shall he go; and what profit has he that has labored for the wind?

Hebrew Names Version
This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much vexation and sickness and wrath.

New Living Translation
And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind.

New Life Bible
This also is very wrong: As a man is born, this is the way he will leave. So what does the man get who works for the wind?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Yea, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.

English Revised Version
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 laboureth for the wind?

Berean Standard Bible
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?

New Revised Standard
This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go; and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart, - what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?

Douay-Rheims Bible
(5-15) A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

Lexham English Bible
This also is a grievous illness. Exactly as he came, so he will go. What profit does he gain for all his toil for the wind?

English Standard Version
This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind?

New American Standard Bible
This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person is born, so will he die. What then is the advantage for him who labors for the wind?

New Century Version
This, too, is real misery: They leave just as they came. So what do they gain from chasing the wind?

Good News Translation
It isn't right! We go just as we came. We labor, trying to catch the wind, and what do we get?

Christian Standard Bible®
This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Outirli it is a wretchid sijknesse; as he cam, so he schal turne ayen. What therfor profitith it to hym, that he trauelide in to the wynde?

Revised Standard Version
This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he that he toiled for the wind,

Young's Literal Translation
And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage [is] to him who laboureth for wind?

Contextual Overview

⁹ And the advantage of a land is for everyone. There is a king to [protect] the cultivated field. ¹⁰ He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. ¹¹ When goods increase, those that eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, except for looking at [them] with his eyes? ¹² The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the fullness of the rich will not allow him to sleep. ¹³ There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: ¹⁴ and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he has begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. ¹⁵ As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked he shall go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. ¹⁶ And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so he shall go: and what profit does he have that he labors for the wind? ¹⁷ All his days also he eats in darkness, and he is intensely vexed, and has sickness and wrath.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

a sore: Ecclesiastes 5:13, Ecclesiastes 2:22, Ecclesiastes 2:23

what: 1 Samuel 12:21, Jeremiah 2:8, Mark 8:36

for: Ecclesiastes 1:3, Proverbs 11:29, Isaiah 26:18, Hosea 8:7, John 6:27

Reciprocal: Ecclesiastes 3:9 - General Ecclesiastes 6:2 - vanity Ecclesiastes 7:15 - have I Ecclesiastes 8:12 - a sinner Ecclesiastes 11:8 - All that 1 Timothy 6:7 - we brought

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And this also [is] a sore evil, [that] in all points as he came, so shall he go,.... This seems not to be an evil or vanity, distinct from the former; but the same repeated and confirmed, and expressed, if possible, in stronger terms, that a man is in all respects alike, when he goes out of the world, as when he came in. A man's birth is signified by "coming", that is, out of his mother's womb, and into the world; and which is a description of every man born into it, John 1:9; he is of the earth, earthly; comes forth like a flower, and springs up as grass; he comes not of himself, nor casually, but by means of his parents; and according to the determinate will of God, and to answer some end or other: and his death is signified by "going": a going the way of all flesh; a going out of the world; a going to the grave, the house of all living, a man's long home; it is like going from one house to another; for death is not an annihilation of man, but a remove of him from hence elsewhere; and a man's birth and death are in all points alike. This is to be understood of natural and civil things; of riches and honours, which men cannot carry with them; and with respect to them, they are as they were born, naked and stripped of them; and with respect to the body, the parts of it then are the same, though more grown; it is as naked as it was born; and a man is as much beholden to his friends for his grave as for his swaddling clothes; it becomes what it was at first, earth and dust; and as a man comes not into the world at his own will and pleasure, so neither does he go out of it at his will, but the Lord's. The Midrash interprets it thus,

"as a man comes into the world, with crying, weeping, and sighing, and without knowledge, so he goes out.''

Likewise this is only true of natural and unregenerate men as to moral things; as they are born in sin, they die in sin; with only this difference, an addition of more sin; as they come into the world without the image of God, without a righteousness, without holiness, and without the grace of God, so they go out of it without these things: but this is not true of saints and truly gracious persons; they come into the world with sin, but go out of it without it; being washed in the blood of Christ, justified by his righteousness, and all their sins expiated and pardoned through his sacrifice: they are born without a righteousness, but do not die without one; Christ has wrought out an everlasting righteousness for them; this is imputed to them; is received by faith; given them; they are found in it, living and dying; and this introduces them into heaven and happiness: they are born without holiness, but do not live and die without it; they are regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God, and at the moment of death made perfectly holy. This only therefore is true of men, as natural, and with respect to natural and civil things: the Targum interprets it,

"as he comes into this world void of merit, so he shall go into that;''

and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? for riches, which are as unsatisfying as the wind; which are as shifting, and as swift to flee away, as that; and can no more be held, when it is the will of God they should go, and especially at death, than the wind is to be held in the fist of men; and which are as unprofitable as that in the hour of death. Particularly, what profit has a man of all his riches, which he has got by labour, when he neither makes use of them in life for his own good, nor the good of others; and when he comes to die, they leave him and stand him in no stead; and especially having been unconcerned about his immortal soul; and having been wholly taken up in the pursuit of such vain and transitory things? see Matthew 16:26.