Ecclesiastes 5:13

Hoarding Wealth Can Backfire

¹² Sweet is the sleep of a working man, whether he eats a little or a lot, but the excess wealth of the rich will not allow him to rest. ¹³ I have observed a painful tragedy on earth: Wealth hoarded by its owner harms him, ¹⁴ and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances. Then a son is born, but there is nothing left for him.

In the World

On Earth

Under the Sun

Ecclesiastes 6:1-2

There exists another misfortune that I have observed on earth, and it is a heavy burden upon human beings:

Genesis 13:5-11

Lot, who was traveling with Abram, also had flocks of sheep, herds, and tents.

Genesis 14:16

He recovered all the goods and brought back his nephew Lot, together with his possessions, the women, and the other people.

Genesis 19:14

Lot then went out and told his sons-in-law (they had married his daughters), "Get out of here! The LORD is going to destroy this city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

Genesis 19:26

But Lot's wife looked back as she lingered behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 19:31-38

One day the firstborn told the younger one, "Our father is old, and there's no man in the land to have sex with us, as everybody else throughout all the earth does.

Proverbs 1:11-13

If they say, "Come with us! Let's lie in wait for blood; let's ambush some innocent person for no reason at all.

Proverbs 1:19

Such is the way of all those who seek illicit gain it takes away the lives of those who possess it.

Proverbs 1:32

Indeed, the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

Proverbs 11:4

Wealth won't help in the time of judgment, but righteousness will deliver from death.

Proverbs 11:24-25

Those who give freely gain even more; others hold back what they owe, becoming even poorer.

Ecclesiastes 4:8

Consider someone who is alone, having neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his work, and he is never satisfied with wealth. "So for whom do I work," he asks, "and deprive myself of pleasure?" This, too, is pointless and a terrible tragedy.

Ecclesiastes 8:9

I observed all this, and carefully considered everything that is undertaken on earth, especially the time when someone dominates another to his detriment.

Isaiah 32:6-8

For fools utter contempt, and their minds plot wrong things: practicing ungodliness, spreading lies about the LORD, leaving the pangs of hungry people unsatisfied, and depriving thirsty people of drink.

Zephaniah 1:18

Neither their silver nor their gold will deliver them in the Day of the LORD's wrath; but the entire land will be consumed by the fire of his jealousy, for he will bring the inhabitants of the land to a sudden end."

Luke 12:16-21

Then he told them a parable. He said, "The land of a certain rich man produced good crops.

Luke 16:1-13

Now Jesus was saying to the disciples, "A rich man had a servant manager who was accused of wasting his assets.

Luke 16:19

"Once there was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and live in great luxury every day.

Luke 16:22-23

"One day, the beggar died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

Luke 18:22-23

When Jesus heard this, he told him, "You still need to do one thing. Sell everything you have and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come back and follow me."

Isaiah 2:20

At that time, mankind will throw their silver and gold idols that their fingers have made as objects of worship to the moles and to the bats.

Luke 19:8

Later, Zacchaeus stood up and announced to the Lord, "Look! I'm giving half of my possessions to the destitute, and if I have accused anyone falsely, I'm repaying four times as much as I owe."

1 Timothy 6:9-10

But people who want to get rich keep toppling into temptation and are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires that plunge them into destruction and ruin.

James 2:5-7

Listen, my dear brothers! God has chosen the poor in the world to become rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who keep on loving him, has he not?

James 5:1-4

Now listen, you rich people! Cry and moan over the miseries that are overtaking you.