Ecclesiastes / Question
Ecclesiastes says a person can leave the world “naked” as they came, taking nothing from their labor that they can carry away (Ecclesiastes 5:15). It presents this as a “sore evil,” reinforcing the limits of riches and the certainty of death (Ecclesiastes 5:13–17).
In Ecclesiastes 5:13–17 the speaker reports a “grievous evil” he has observed: wealth can damage its owner, and even when it is preserved it can vanish through bad circumstances. He highlights the heartbreak of a father who loses riches and leaves his son with nothing. This unit sits within a larger stretch where the speaker examines life “under the sun,” especially the frustrations tied to work, money, and what people can control. Just before this, he warns about the instability of wealth and the futility of multiplying possessions without the ability to enjoy them (5:10–12).
Ecclesiastes 5:13–17 presents wealth as unstable and limited. The speaker says he has seen a “grievous evil”: money can be held in a way that ends up hurting the owner (verse 13). Even when wealth is successfully accumulated, it can still disappear through “misfortune” (verse 14).
A careful answer keeps the immediate passage, the book's argument, and the whole-Bible storyline together, so the question is answered in context instead of as a detached idea.
Start with Ecclesiastes 5:15, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
15As he came forth from his mother`s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.