Ecclesiastes 5

1 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.

Look well to thy feet, when thou goest to the house of God, and draw nigh to hear, rather than to offer sacrifice as fools. For they consider not that they do evil.

2 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.

Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be swift to utter any thing before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.

3 Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.

For a dream cometh with much bustle, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.

4 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.

When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.

Better is it that thou shouldst not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.

6 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.

Suffer not thy mouth to bring punishment on thy flesh, and say not before the angel, “It was a mistake.” Wherefore should God be angry on account of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.

For in a multitude of dreams is a multitude of vanities; so also in a multitude of words; but fear thou God!

8 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:

If thou seest oppression of the poor, and justice and equity perverted in a province, be not alarmed at the matter. For over the high there is a higher, who watcheth, and there is one higher than they all.

9 Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.

An advantage to a land in all respects is a king over cultivated ground.

10 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.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; and he that loveth riches shall have no profit from them. This also is vanity.

11 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?

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage hath the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?

12 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.

Sweet is the sleep of a laboring man, whether he have eaten little or much; but the repletion of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, — riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt.

14 For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.

For those riches perish by some calamity, and, if he have a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.

As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, so shall he go away again, as he came, and shall take away nothing of his labor which he may carry in his hand.

16 A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

This is also a sore evil, that, in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit is there to him who toileth for wind?

17 All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.

Also all his days he ate in darkness, and had much grief and anxiety and vexation.

18 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.

Behold, what I have seen is, that it is good and proper for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor which he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him; for it is his portion.

19 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.

To whatever man also God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him to enjoy them, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,

For he will not much remember the days of his life; for God answereth him with the joy of his heart.