Ecclesiastes 5
1 Be careful when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices. People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong.
Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the House of God, and be more neere to heare then to giue the sacrifice of fooles: for they knowe not that they doe euil.
2 Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short.
Be not rash with thy mouth, nor let thine heart be hastie to vtter a thing before God: for God is in the heauens, and thou art on the earth: therefore let thy wordes be fewe.
3 When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
For as a dreame commeth by the multitude of businesse: so the voyce of a foole is in the multitude of wordes.
4 When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it, don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised!
When thou hast vowed a vowe to God, deferre not to pay it: for he deliteth not in fooles: pay therefore that thou hast vowed.
5 Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.
It is better that thou shouldest not vowe, then that thou shouldest vow and not pay it.
6 Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise? He could bring your own curse down on you.
Suffer not thy mouth to make thy flesh to sinne: neither say before the Angel, that this is ignorance: wherefore shall God bee angry by thy voyce, and destroy the worke of thine hands?
7 There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.
For in the multitude of dreames, and vanities are also many wordes: but feare thou God.
8 If you see poor people somewhere being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.
If in a countrey thou seest the oppression of the poore, and the defrauding of iudgement and iustice, be not astonied at the matter: for hee that is higher then the highest, regardeth, and there be higher then they.
9 However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.
And the abundance of the earth is ouer all: the King also consisteth by the fielde that is tilled.
10 People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense.
He that loueth siluer, shall not be satisfied with siluer, and he that loueth riches, shalbe without the fruite thereof: this also is vanitie.
11 The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!
When goods increase, they are increased that eate them: and what good commeth to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eyes?
12 Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest.
The sleepe of him that traueileth, is sweete, whether he eate litle or much: but the sacietie of the riche will not suffer him to sleepe.
13 I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.
There is an euill sickenes that I haue seene vnder the sunne: to wit, riches reserued to the owners thereof for their euill.
14 They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.
And these riches perish by euill trauel, and he begetteth a sonne, and in his hand is nothing.
15 When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.
As hee came foorth of his mothers belly, he shall returne naked to goe as he came, and shall beare away nothing of his labour, which hee hath caused to passe by his hand.
16 This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?
And this also is an euill sickenes that in all pointes as he came, so shall he goe, and what profit hath he that he hath traueiled for the winde?
17 They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
Also all his dayes hee eateth in darkenes with much griefe, and in his sorowe and anger.
18 But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us.
Beholde then, what I haue seene good, that it is comely to eate, and to drinke, and to take pleasure in all his labour, wherein he traueileth vnder the sunne, the whole nomber of the dayes of his life, which God giueth him: for this is his portion.
19 In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us.
Also to euery man to whom God hath giuen riches and treasures, and giueth him power to eate thereof, and to take his part, and to enioy his labour: this is the gift of God.
20 In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.
Surely hee will not much remember the dayes of his life, because God answereth to the ioy of his heart.
