Ecclesiastes 5

1 Guard your step when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do 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 Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on 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 as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's speech with a multitude of words.

When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.

4 When you vow a vow to God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

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 Do not allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Do not protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work 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 in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.

There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.

8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, do not marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials 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 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.

10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is 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 When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them 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 laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow 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 a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.

14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, 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 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.

When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.

16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?

17 All his days are in darkness and mourning, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.

18 Look, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one 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.

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 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.

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 often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy 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.