Ecclesiastes 5
1 Watch thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be near to hearken [to his will], more than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil [to themselves].
Keep thy foot when thou go to the house of God, for to draw near to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools. For they know not that they do evil.
2 Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through being much employed [with something], and the voice of a fool cometh with a multitude of words.
For a dream comes with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.
4 When thou makest a vow unto God, do not delay to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in such fools: that which thou hast vowed must thou pay.
When thou vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou vow.
5 It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
Better is it that thou should not vow, than that thou should vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin; and say thou not before the messenger, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
Do not allow thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say thou before the agent, that is was an error. Why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou God.
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words. But fear thou God.
8 If thou see the oppression of the poor, and violence done to justice and righteousness in a province, do not feel astounded at the matter; for one that is high watcheth over the high; and over them, the highest Power.
If thou see the oppression of a poor man, and the violent wresting of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter. For a man higher than the high is observing, and there are higher men than they.
9 But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
Moreover the abundance of the land is for all. The king himself is served by the field.
10 He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.
He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
11 When prosperity increaseth, those that consume it [likewise] increase: and what advantage is there to its owner, saving to see [it] with his eyes?
When goods increase, they are increased who eat them. And what advantage is there to the owner of it, except the beholding of them with his eyes?
12 Sweet is the sleep of the laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the overabundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the fullness of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches were kept by the owner of it to his hurt.
14 And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
And those riches perish in a bad venture. And if he has begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came forth out of his mother's womb, naked will he return to go as he came; and not the least will he carry off for his toil, which he might take away with him.
As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 And also this is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so must he go: and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the wind?
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he that he labored for the wind?
17 All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
All his days also he eats in gloom, and he is greatly troubled, and has depression and anger.
18 Behold, what I have truly seen as a good thing, that it is fitting to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all one's toil that he taketh under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God hath given him; for this is his portion.
Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be fitting is for a man to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor in which he labors under the sun all the days of his life which God has given him, for this is his portion.
19 Also every man to whom God hath given riches and property, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil— this is the gift of God.
Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.
20 Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answers him in the joy of his heart.
