Ecclesiastes 5

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

3 For the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.

For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.

4 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.

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.

5 Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.

[It is] better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

6 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?

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.

7 For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear God.

For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear you God.

8 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.

If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgement 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.

9 And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.

Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled field.

10 Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.

11 In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?

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?

12 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.

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.

13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.

14 And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!

And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15 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.

As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go [with him] in his hand.

16 And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?

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 labours?

17 He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.

Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.

18 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.

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 labour in which he may labour under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.

19 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.

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 labour; this is the gift of God.

20 For he does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.