Ecclesiastes 5:12 — Compare Translations

English (YLT) 1898 Young's Literal Translation by Robert Young

Sweet [is] the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.

English ASV

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

English Amplified

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the fullness of the rich will not let him sleep.

English Amplified Classic Bible 1987

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the fullness of the rich will not let him sleep.

English Berean Standard Bible (BSB) 2025

The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

English CSB 2017 - Christian Standard Bible

The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.

English Darby 1890 : Public Domain

The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.

English EASY 2024

Someone who has worked hard all day will sleep well at night. That is true even if they have not had much food to eat. But the rich man worries about his riches. So he does not sleep well.

English ERV 2006 - Only For Website

Those who work hard all day come home and sleep in peace. It is not important if they have little or much to eat. But the rich worry about their wealth and are not able to sleep.

English ESV 2016 == The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles

Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.

English GNT (Good News Translation)

Workers may or may not have enough to eat, but at least they can get a good night's sleep. The rich, however, have so much that they stay awake worrying.

English God's Word - GW 1995

The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep.

English HCSB 2004 - Copyrighted Only For Website

The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.

English KJV 1611

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.

English LSB

The sleep of the laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the satisfaction of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

English MEV 2014 (Modern English Version)

Sweet is the sleep of one who works hard, whether he eats little or much; but due to the excess of the rich, there will be no sleep for him.

English NASB (New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995)

The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

English NASU 1989 - New American Standard Update - Only for Website

This is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches kept by their owner to his hurt.

English NET Bible - 2005 (New English Translation)

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

English NIRV 1996 - Copyrighted only for Website

The sleep of a worker is sweet. It doesn't matter whether he eats a little or a lot. But the wealth of a rich man keeps him awake at night.

English NIV

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.

English NKJ 1982

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.

English NLT

People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich are always worrying and seldom get a good night's sleep.

English NRSV 1989 - Only for website

Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.

English RSV (Revised Standard Version)

Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let him sleep.

English TL (The Living Bible) (1971)

The man who works hard sleeps well whether he eats little or much, but the rich must worry and suffer insomnia.

English Tyndale 1537

A labouring man sleepeth sweetly, whether it be little or much that he eateth: but the aboundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.