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, 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 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 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 a dream cometh through the multitude of business, —and, the voice of a dullard, is with a multitude of words.

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

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 thou shouldest not vow, —than vow, and not pay.

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

For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: 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 should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment 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 profit of the earth, is, for all, —a king, by the field, is served.

Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled 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: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? 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?

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

There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner 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 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 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 naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labor, that it should go [with him] 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 is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labors?

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

Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, 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, 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 labor in which he may labor under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to 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.

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 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; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.