Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep your foot, whenever you go to the house of God; and [when you are] near to hear, let your sacrifice [be] better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.
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.
2 Be not hasty with your mouth, and let not your heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.
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.
3 For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.
When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.
4 Whenever you shall vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for [he has] no pleasure in fools: pay you therefore whatever you shall have vowed.
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!
5 [It is] better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.
6 Suffer not your mouth to lead your flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at your voice, and destroy the works of your hands.
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.
7 For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear you God.
There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.
8 If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there is] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them.
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.
9 Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled field.
However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.
10 He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.
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.
11 In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding [it] with his eyes?
The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!
12 The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.
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.
13 There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.
I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.
14 And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.
15 As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labor, that it should go [with him] in his hand.
When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.
16 And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labors?
This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?
17 Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.
They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.
18 Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing [for a man] to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labor in which he may labor under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.
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.
19 Yes, and [as for] every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
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.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.
In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.
