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.

Keep your feet when you go to a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.

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 cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore 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.

For the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of 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 vow a vow to God, do not delay to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which you vow—complete.

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

Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.

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 permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?

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

For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but 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 oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness you see in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.

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

And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.

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

Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.

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?

In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of 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.

Sweet [is] the sleep of the laborer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not permitting him to 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 painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

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

And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!

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 he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turns back to go as he came, and he does not take away anything of his labor, that goes in his hand.

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?

And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?

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

He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.

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.

Behold, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor that he labors at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God has given to him, for it [is] his portion.

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.

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

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

For he does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.