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.
Watch thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be near to hearken [to his will], more than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil [to themselves].
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.
Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the 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.
For a dream cometh through being much employed [with something], and the voice of a fool cometh with a multitude of words.
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 thou makest a vow unto God, do not delay to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in such fools: that which thou hast vowed must thou pay.
5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
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?
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin; and say thou not before the messenger, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.
For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou 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 see the oppression of the poor, and violence done to justice and righteousness in a province, do not feel astounded at the matter; for one that is high watcheth over the high; and over them, the highest Power.
9 The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
10 He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.
He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this 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?
When prosperity increaseth, those that consume it [likewise] increase: and what advantage is there to its owner, saving to see [it] 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.
Sweet is the sleep of the laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the overabundance 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 a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.
14 or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.
And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
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 out of his mother's womb, naked will he return to go as he came; and not the least will he carry off for his toil, which he might take away with him.
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?
And also this is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so must he go: and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the wind?
17 Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
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.
Behold, what I have truly seen as a good thing, that it is fitting to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all one's toil that he taketh under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God hath given him; for 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.
Also every man to whom God hath given riches and property, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil— 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.
Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.
