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.
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 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.
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 from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.
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 take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.
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 take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.
It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
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.
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 Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.
For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou 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 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 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.
But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
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.
He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this 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?
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 a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.
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 great evil which I have seen under the sun — wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.
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.
And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
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 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 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?
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 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.
All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.
