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.
Parallel translations
- WEB The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
- BSB The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.
- NKJV The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.
- NASB The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.
- NLT People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The laborer sleeps sweetly whether he eats little or much, but the rich man's abundance robs him of rest. It matters because wealth often brings anxiety, not the peace people imagine.
Overview
The Preacher contrasts the contented rest of the worker with the sleepless worry of the wealthy. Riches that promise security instead breed anxiety. The verse commends the simple gift of honest labor and restful trust, echoing the peace God grants His beloved (Psalm 127:2) and the rest Jesus offers to the weary and heavy-laden (Matthew 11:28).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Prov 3:24When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
- Ps 4:8I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
- Jer 31:26Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.
- Ps 127:2It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The search that finds everything 'under the sun' to be vapor exposes the emptiness of life without God and drives us to the one who alone gives meaning, the resurrection that makes our labor not in vain.
How Ecclesiastes 5:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.