Ecclesiastes 5
1 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.
Keep thy foot, when thou goest into the house of God, and draw nigh to hear. For much better is obedience, than the victims of fools, who know not what evil they do.
2 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.
Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.
5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.
6 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?
Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.
7 For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.
8 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.
If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:
9 The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.
10 He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.
11 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?
Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?
12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.
Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,
There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.
14 or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.
For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.
15 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.
As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.
16 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?
A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?
17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.
18 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.
This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.
19 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.
And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.
20 For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,
