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 your foot when you go to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider 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 your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your 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 comes through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by 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 you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.
5 Better that thou shouldest not vow, —than vow, and not pay.
Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should 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 your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say you before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your 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 and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear you 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 you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regards; and there be 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 loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also 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 good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their 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 labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance 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 sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their 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.
But those riches perish by evil travail: and he bring forths a son, and 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 out of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, 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 sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he that has laboured 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 eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
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: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for it 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 has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; 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 answers him in the joy of his heart.
