Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot when thou go to the house of God, for to draw near to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they know not that they do evil.

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.

Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.

3 For a dream comes with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.

As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.

4 When thou vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vow.

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.

5 Better is it that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and not pay.

It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

6 Do not allow thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say thou before the agent, that is was an error. Why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words. But fear thou God.

For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.

8 If thou see the oppression of a poor man, and the violent wresting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter. For a man higher than the high is observing, and there are higher men than they.

If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.

9 Moreover the abundance of the land is for all. The king himself is served by the field.

The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.

11 When goods increase, they are increased who eat them. And what advantage is there to the owner of it, except the beholding of them with his eyes?

When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

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

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

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches were kept by the owner of it to his hurt.

There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,

14 And those riches perish in a bad venture. And if he has begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.

15 As 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.

As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.

16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he that he labored for the wind?

This too is a grievous evil: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?

17 All his days also he eats in gloom, and he is greatly troubled, and has depression and anger.

Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.

18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be fitting is for a man to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor in which he labors under the sun all the days of his life which God has given him, for this is his portion.

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.

19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.

Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God.

20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answers him in the joy of his heart.

For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.