Ecclesiastes 5:11

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

When someone’s prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Gen 12:16 : 16 and he did treat Abram well on account of her. Abram received sheep and cattle, male donkeys, male servants, female servants, female donkeys, and camels.
  • Gen 13:2 : 2 (Now Abram was very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold.)
  • Gen 13:5-7 : 5 Now Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks, herds, and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they were living side by side. Because their possessions were so great, they were not able to live alongside one another. 7 So there were quarrels between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen.(Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.)
  • Josh 7:21-25 : 21 I saw among the goods we seized a nice robe from Babylon, two hundred silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels. I wanted them, so I took them. They are hidden in the ground right in the middle of my tent with the silver underneath.” 22 Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent. The things were hidden right in his tent, with the silver underneath. 23 They took it all from the middle of the tent, brought it to Joshua and all the Israelites, and placed it before the LORD. 24 Then Joshua and all Israel took Achan, son of Zerah, along with the silver, the robe, the bar of gold, his sons, daughters, ox, donkey, sheep, tent, and all that belonged to him and brought them up to the Valley of Disaster. 25 Joshua said,“Why have you brought disaster on us? The LORD will bring disaster on you today!” All Israel stoned him to death.(They also stoned and burned the others.)
  • 1 Kgs 4:22-23 : 22 Each day Solomon’s royal court consumed thirty cors of finely milled flour, sixty cors of cereal, 23 ten calves fattened in the stall, twenty calves from the pasture, and a hundred sheep, not to mention rams, gazelles, deer, and well-fed birds.
  • 1 Kgs 5:13-16 : 13 King Solomon conscripted work crews from throughout Israel, 30,000 men in all. 14 He sent them to Lebanon in shifts of 10,000 men per month. They worked in Lebanon for one month, and then spent two months at home. Adoniram was supervisor of the work crews. 15 Solomon also had 70,000 common laborers and 80,000 stonecutters in the hills, 16 besides 3,300 officials who supervised the workers.
  • Neh 5:17-18 : 17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely, in addition to those who came to us from the nations all around us. 18 Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people.
  • Ps 119:36-37 : 36 Give me a desire for your rules, rather than for wealth gained unjustly. 37 Turn my eyes away from what is worthless! Revive me with your word!
  • Prov 23:5 : 5 When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!
  • Eccl 6:9 : 9 It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one’s heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile– like chasing the wind.
  • Eccl 11:9 : 9 Enjoy Life to the Fullest under the Fear of God Rejoice, young man, while you are young, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes, but know that God will judge your motives and actions.
  • Jer 17:11 : 11 The person who gathers wealth by unjust means is like the partridge that broods over eggs but does not hatch them. Before his life is half over he will lose his ill-gotten gains. At the end of his life it will be clear he was a fool.”
  • Hab 2:13 : 13 Be sure of this! The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has decreed: The nations’ efforts will go up in smoke; their exhausting work will be for nothing.
  • 1 John 2:16 : 16 because all that is in the world(the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 5:9-10
    2 verses
    85%

    9The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields.

    10Covetousness The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile.

  • Eccl 5:12-14
    3 verses
    80%

    12The sleep of the laborer is pleasant– whether he eats little or much– but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

    13Materialism Thwarts Enjoyment of Life Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

    14Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him.

  • Eccl 6:1-2
    2 verses
    77%

    1Not Everyone Enjoys Life Here is another misfortune that I have seen on earth, and it weighs heavily on people:

    2God gives a man riches, property, and wealth so that he lacks nothing that his heart desires, yet God does not enable him to enjoy the fruit of his labor– instead, someone else enjoys it! This is fruitless and a grave misfortune.

  • Prov 13:11
    76%

    11Wealth gained quickly will dwindle away, but the one who gathers it little by little will become rich.

  • Prov 1:19
    75%

    19Such are the ways of all who gain profit unjustly; it takes away the life of those who obtain it!

  • Eccl 5:18-19
    2 verses
    74%

    18Enjoy the Fruit of Your Labor I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward.

    19To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God.

  • Eccl 6:7-9
    3 verses
    74%

    7All of man’s labor is for nothing more than to fill his stomach– yet his appetite is never satisfied!

    8So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

    9It is better to be content with what the eyes can see than for one’s heart always to crave more. This continual longing is futile– like chasing the wind.

  • Eccl 2:24-26
    3 verses
    74%

    24Enjoy Work and its Benefits There is nothing better for people than to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in their work. I also perceived that this ability to find enjoyment comes from God.

    25For no one can eat and drink or experience joy apart from him.

    26For to the one who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the task of amassing wealth– only to give it to the one who pleases God. This task of the wicked is futile– like chasing the wind!

  • Eccl 6:11
    74%

    11The more one argues with words, the less he accomplishes. How does that benefit him?

  • Prov 20:14
    74%

    14“It’s worthless! It’s worthless!” says the buyer, but when he goes on his way, he boasts.

  • Prov 11:24
    73%

    24One person is generous and yet grows more wealthy, but another withholds more than he should and comes to poverty.

  • Ps 39:6
    72%

    6Surely people go through life as mere ghosts. Surely they accumulate worthless wealth without knowing who will eventually haul it away.”

  • Eccl 4:8
    72%

    8A man who is all alone with no companion, he has no children nor siblings; yet there is no end to all his toil, and he is never satisfied with riches. He laments,“For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is futile and a burdensome task!

  • Eccl 1:8
    72%

    8All this monotony is tiresome; no one can bear to describe it: The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear ever content with hearing.

  • Luke 12:21
    72%

    21So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, but is not rich toward God.”

  • Prov 28:22
    72%

    22The stingy person hastens after riches and does not know that poverty will overtake him.

  • Prov 23:4-5
    2 verses
    72%

    4Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise enough to restrain yourself.

    5When you gaze upon riches, they are gone, for they surely make wings for themselves, and fly off into the sky like an eagle!

  • Eccl 2:21
    72%

    21For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge, and skill; however, he must hand over the fruit of his labor as an inheritance to someone else who did not work for it. This also is futile, and an awful injustice!

  • Eccl 2:10-11
    2 verses
    72%

    10I did not restrain myself from getting whatever I wanted; I did not deny myself anything that would bring me pleasure. So all my accomplishments gave me joy; this was my reward for all my effort.

    11Yet when I reflected on everything I had accomplished and on all the effort that I had expended to accomplish it, I concluded:“All these achievements and possessions are ultimately profitless– like chasing the wind! There is nothing gained from them on earth.”

  • Eccl 3:9
    71%

    9Man is Ignorant of God’s Timing What benefit can a worker gain from his toil?

  • Eccl 1:3
    71%

    3Futility Illustrated from Nature What benefit do people get from all the effort which they expend on earth?

  • Ps 62:10
    71%

    10Do not trust in what you can gain by oppression! Do not put false confidence in what you can gain by robbery! If wealth increases, do not become attached to it!

  • Eccl 7:11
    71%

    11Wisdom Can Lengthen One’s Life Wisdom, like an inheritance, is a good thing; it benefits those who see the light of day.

  • Prov 13:7
    71%

    7There is one who pretends to be rich and yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor and yet possesses great wealth.

  • Eccl 3:22
    71%

    22So I perceived there is nothing better than for people to enjoy their work, because that is their reward; for who can show them what the future holds?

  • Hab 2:6
    71%

    6The Proud Babylonians Are as Good as Dead“But all these nations will someday taunt him and ridicule him with proverbial sayings:‘Woe to the one who accumulates what does not belong to him(How long will this go on?)– he who gets rich by extortion!’

  • Deut 8:13
    71%

    13when your cattle and flocks increase, when you have plenty of silver and gold, and when you have abundance of everything,

  • Prov 28:8
    70%

    8The one who increases his wealth by increasing interest gathers it for someone who is gracious to the needy.

  • Prov 5:10
    70%

    10lest strangers devour your strength, and your labor benefit another man’s house.

  • Job 20:18
    70%

    18He gives back the ill-gotten gain without assimilating it; he will not enjoy the wealth from his commerce.

  • Luke 12:15
    70%

    15Then he said to them,“Watch out and guard yourself from all types of greed, because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

  • Eccl 5:16
    70%

    16This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

  • Prov 28:19
    70%

    19The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, but whoever chases daydreams will have his fill of poverty.

  • Ps 73:12
    70%

    12Take a good look! This is what the wicked are like, those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer.

  • Job 20:21
    70%

    21“Nothing is left for him to devour; that is why his prosperity does not last.

  • Ps 49:6
    70%

    6They trust in their wealth and boast in their great riches.

  • Eccl 4:6
    70%

    6Better is one handful with some rest than two hands full of toil and chasing the wind.

  • Prov 13:23
    70%

    23Abundant food may come from the field of the poor, but it is swept away by injustice.

  • Luke 12:19
    70%

    19And I will say to myself,“You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’