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.
Cuando fueres a la casa de Dios, guarda tu pie; y acércate más para oír que para dar el sacrificio de los locos; porque no saben hacer lo que Dios quiere.
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.
No te des prisa con tu boca, ni tu corazón se apresure a proferir palabra delante de Dios; porque Dios está en el cielo, y tú sobre la tierra; por tanto, sean pocas tus palabras.
3 As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.
Porque de la mucha ocupación viene el sueño, y de la multitud de las palabras la voz del loco.
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.
Cuando a Dios hicieres promesa, no tardes en pagarla; porque no se agrada de los locos. Paga lo que prometieres.
5 It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.
Mejor es que no prometas, que no que prometas y no pagues.
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.
No sueltes tu boca para hacer pecar a tu carne; ni digas delante del ángel, que fue ignorancia. ¿Por qué harás que Dios se aíre a causa de tu voz, y que destruya la obra de tus manos?
7 Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.
Porque los sueños abundan, y las vanidades y las palabras son muchas; mas tú teme a Dios.
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.
Si violencias de pobres, y extorsión de derecho y de justicia vieres en la provincia, no te maravilles de esta licencia; porque alto está mirando sobre alto, y uno más alto está sobre ellos.
9 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.
Y mayor altura hay en todas las cosas de la tierra; mas el que sirve al campo es rey.
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.
El que ama el dinero, no se saciará de dinero; y el que ama el mucho tener, no sacará fruto. También esto es vanidad.
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?
Cuando los bienes se aumentan, también se aumentan los que los comen. ¿Qué bien, pues, tendrá su dueño, sino verlos con sus ojos?
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.
Dulce es el sueño del trabajador, coma mucho o coma poco; mas al rico no lo deja dormir la abundancia.
13 There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun — wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.
Hay otra enfermedad maligna que he visto debajo del sol: las riquezas guardadas por sus dueños para su mal;
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.
las cuales se pierden en malas ocupaciones, y a los hijos que engendraron nada les queda en la mano.
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.
Como salió del vientre de su madre, desnudo, así vuelve, yéndose tal como vino; y nada tiene de su trabajo para llevar en su mano.
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?
Este también es un gran mal, que como vino, así haya de volver. ¿Y de qué le aprovechó trabajar al viento?
17 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.
Además de esto, todos los días de su vida comerá en tinieblas, con mucho enojo y dolor e ira.
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.
He aquí pues el bien que yo he visto: Que lo bueno es comer y beber, y gozar uno del bien de todo su trabajo con que se fatiga debajo del sol, todos los días de su vida que Dios le ha dado; porque esta es su parte.
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.
Asimismo, a todo hombre a quien Dios dio riquezas y hacienda, también le dio facultad para que coma de ellas, y tome su parte, y goce su trabajo; esto es don de Dios.
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.
Al tal, Dios le quitará las congojas comunes a otros; pues Dios le responderá con alegría de su corazón.
