Ecclesiastes 5

1 Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.

Keep your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

2 You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.

Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you on earth: therefore let your words be few.

3 Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.

For a dream comes through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.

4 If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.

When you vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.

5 And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.

Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

6 You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.

Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say you before the angel, that it was an error: why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must fear God.

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear you God.

8 If you see false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.

If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regards; and there be higher than they.

9 But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

10 A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

11 Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?

12 Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

14 For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.

But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15 Just as he went forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.

As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

16 It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?

And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he that has labored for the wind?

17 All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.

All his days also he eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

18 And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.

Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for it is his portion.

19 And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

20 And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answers him in the joy of his heart.