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.

Guard your step when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil.

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.

Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your 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 as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's speech 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 you vow a vow to God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

5 It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.

It is better that you should not vow, than that you should 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.

Do not allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Do not protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your 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 there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must 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 you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, do not marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them.

9 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

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 who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: 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?

When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them 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.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow 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 grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

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.

Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing 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 from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

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?

This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

17 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.

All his days are in darkness and mourning, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

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.

Look, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has 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.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—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 often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.