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.
Be careful when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices. People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong.
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.
Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short.
3 As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it, don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised!
5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.
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?
Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise? He could bring your own curse down on you.
7 For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow 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 you see poor people somewhere being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.
9 The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.
10 He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense.
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?
The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!
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.
Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest.
13 There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,
I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.
14 or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.
They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.
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.
When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.
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?
This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?
17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
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.
But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us.
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.
In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us.
20 For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.
