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 your feet when you go to a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know 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.
Do not cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore let your 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 the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance 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 you vow a vow to God, do not delay to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which you vow—complete.
5 It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.
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 permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou God.
For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear 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 oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness you see in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.
9 But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
10 He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.
Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [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?
In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of 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.
Sweet [is] the sleep of the laborer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not permitting 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 painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
14 And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and 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 out from the belly of his mother, naked he turns back to go as he came, and he does not take away anything of his labor, that goes 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 painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?
17 All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
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: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor that he labors at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God has given to him, for it [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 wealth and riches, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is a 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 does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.
