Ecclesiastes 5
1 Put your feet down with care when you go to the house of God, for it is better to give ear than to make the burned offerings of the foolish, whose knowledge is only of doing evil.
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 Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth — so let not the number of your words be great.
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 from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.
Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.
4 When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.
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 take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.
And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.
6 Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to 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 Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.
Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.
8 If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.
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 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.
Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.
10 He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.
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 goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?
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 a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.
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 great evil which I have seen under the sun — wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.
There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.
14 And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.
For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.
15 As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.
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 And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working 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 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.
All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.
18 This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.
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 Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by 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 He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,
