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].
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not understand that they are doing what is wrong.
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 be too quick to speak with your mouth, and do not let your heart be too quick to bring any matter up before God. God is in heaven, but you are on earth, so 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.
If you have too many things to do and worry about, you will probably have bad dreams. The more words you speak, the more foolish things you will probably say.
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 make a vow to God, do not delay to do it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Do what you vow you will do.
5 It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
It is better not to make a vow than to make one that you do not carry out.
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 your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. Do not say to the priest's messenger, “That vow was a mistake.” Why make God angry by vowing falsely, provoking God to destroy 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 many dreams, as in many words, there is meaningless vapor. So 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.
When you see the poor being oppressed and robbed of just and right treatment in your province, do not be astonished as if no one knows, because there are people in power who watch those under them, and there are even higher ones over them.
9 But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.
In addition, the produce of the land is for everyone, and the king himself takes produce from the fields.
10 He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.
Anyone who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and anyone who loves wealth always wants more. This, too, is vapor.
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?
As prosperity increases, so also do the people who consume it. What advantage in wealth is there to the owner except to watch it 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 working man is sweet, whether he eats little or a lot, but the wealth of a rich person does not allow him to sleep well.
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 an evil that I have seen under the sun: riches hoarded by the owner, resulting in his own misery.
14 And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:
When the rich man loses his wealth through bad luck, his own son, one whom he has fathered, is left with nothing in his hands.
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 a man comes from his mother's womb, so also he will leave naked. He can take none of the fruits of his labor 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?
Another evil is that as a person comes, so he goes away. So what profit is there for him who works for the wind?
17 All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.
During his days he eats with darkness and is greatly distressed with sickness 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.
Look, what I have seen to be good and suitable is to eat and drink and to enjoy the gain from all our work, as we labor under the sun during the days of this life that God has given us. For this is man's assignment.
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.
Anyone to whom God has given riches and wealth and the ability to receive his share and rejoice in his work—this is a gift from 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 call to mind very often the days of his life, because God makes him keep busy with the things that he enjoys doing.
