For God giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy: but to the sinner he giveth travail, to gather and to heap up, that he may give to him that is good before God. This also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to the person who pleases Him. But to those who sin, He gives the hard work of gathering and storing up wealth, only so they can eventually give it to someone who is good in God's eyes. This too is meaningless and frustrating.
The writer is observing that God blesses those who please Him with wisdom and joy, while those who don't follow God end up working hard only to see their wealth go to others—which shows how meaningless life can be.
📚 Historical Context
This comes from Ecclesiastes, traditionally attributed to King Solomon, who had experienced both great wisdom and material wealth. The book reflects on the meaninglessness of pursuing worldly things without God. Solomon is wrestling with observations about how God distributes blessings and how even righteous living can seem futile from a human perspective.
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