Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot, when thou goest unto the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than dullards to offer sacrifice, —for they make no acknowledgment of doing wrong.

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and, with thy heart, be not in haste to bring forth a word, before God, —for, God, is in the heavens, and, thou, upon the earth, for this cause, 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 the multitude of business, —and, the voice of a dullard, is with a multitude of words.

For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.

4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it, for there is no pleasure in dullards, —what thou vowest, pay!

When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.

5 Better that thou shouldest not vow, —than vow, and not pay.

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

6 Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, —neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, —wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

7 For [it was done] amidst a multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words, —but, towards God, be thou reverent.

For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.

8 If, the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of justice and righteousness, thou see in the province, do not be astonished over the matter, —for, one high above the highest, is watching, yea, the Most High, is over them.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.

9 And, the profit of the earth, is, for all, —a king, by the field, is served.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.

10 He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver nor, he that loveth abundance, with revenue, —even this, was vanity.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.

11 When blessings are increased, increased are the eaters thereof, —what profit, then, to the owner of them saving the sight of his eyes?

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding [of them] with his eyes?

12 Sweet the sleep of the labourer, whether, little or much, he eat, —but, the surfeit of the rich man, will not suffer him to sleep.

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 Here was an incurable evil, I had seen under the sun, riches kept by the owner thereof, to his hurt;

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:

14 and those riches perish, by being ill employed, —and though he begetteth a son, yet is there in his hand nothing at all.

and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came from his mother’s womb, naked, he again departeth, as he came, —and, nothing, can he take of his toil, which he can carry in his hand.

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 Even this, moreover, is an incurable evil, altogether as he came, so, shall he depart, —what profit then shall he have who toileth for the wind?

And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?

17 Even all his days, [are spent] in darkness and mourning, —and he is very morose, and is sad and angry.

All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.

18 Lo! what, I myself, have seen—Better that it should be excellent to eat and to drink and to see blessedness, in all one’s toil wherein one toileth under the sun, for the number of the days of his life, in that God hath given it him, for, that, is his portion:

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.

19 yet, as regardeth every man, to whom God hath given wealth and goods, and granted him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to find gladness in his toil, this, is, the gift of God.

Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

20 Though it be not much, let him remember the days of his life, —for, God, beareth witness, by the gladness of his heart.

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.