Ecclesiastes 5
1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not understand that they are doing what is wrong.
Cuando fueres a la casa de Dios, guarda tu pie; y acércate más para oír que para dar el sacrificio de los locos; porque no saben hacer lo que Dios quiere.
2 Do not be too quick to speak with your mouth, and do not let your heart be too quick to bring any matter up before God. God is in heaven, but you are on earth, so let your words be few.
No te des prisa con tu boca, ni tu corazón se apresure a proferir palabra delante de Dios; porque Dios está en el cielo, y tú sobre la tierra; por tanto, sean pocas tus palabras.
3 If you have too many things to do and worry about, you will probably have bad dreams. The more words you speak, the more foolish things you will probably say.
Porque de la mucha ocupación viene el sueño, y de la multitud de las palabras la voz del loco.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to do it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Do what you vow you will do.
Cuando a Dios hicieres promesa, no tardes en pagarla; porque no se agrada de los locos. Paga lo que prometieres.
5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one that you do not carry out.
Mejor es que no prometas, que no que prometas y no pagues.
6 Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. Do not say to the priest's messenger, “That vow was a mistake.” Why make God angry by vowing falsely, provoking God to destroy the work of your hands?
No sueltes tu boca para hacer pecar a tu carne; ni digas delante del ángel, que fue ignorancia. ¿Por qué harás que Dios se aíre a causa de tu voz, y que destruya la obra de tus manos?
7 For in many dreams, as in many words, there is meaningless vapor. So fear God.
Porque los sueños abundan, y las vanidades y las palabras son muchas; mas tú teme a Dios.
8 When you see the poor being oppressed and robbed of just and right treatment in your province, do not be astonished as if no one knows, because there are people in power who watch those under them, and there are even higher ones over them.
Si violencias de pobres, y extorsión de derecho y de justicia vieres en la provincia, no te maravilles de esta licencia; porque alto está mirando sobre alto, y uno más alto está sobre ellos.
9 In addition, the produce of the land is for everyone, and the king himself takes produce from the fields.
Y mayor altura hay en todas las cosas de la tierra; mas el que sirve al campo es rey.
10 Anyone who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and anyone who loves wealth always wants more. This, too, is vapor.
El que ama el dinero, no se saciará de dinero; y el que ama el mucho tener, no sacará fruto. También esto es vanidad.
11 As prosperity increases, so also do the people who consume it. What advantage in wealth is there to the owner except to watch it with his eyes?
Cuando los bienes se aumentan, también se aumentan los que los comen. ¿Qué bien, pues, tendrá su dueño, sino verlos con sus ojos?
12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or a lot, but the wealth of a rich person does not allow him to sleep well.
Dulce es el sueño del trabajador, coma mucho o coma poco; mas al rico no lo deja dormir la abundancia.
13 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun: riches hoarded by the owner, resulting in his own misery.
Hay otra enfermedad maligna que he visto debajo del sol: las riquezas guardadas por sus dueños para su mal;
14 When the rich man loses his wealth through bad luck, his own son, one whom he has fathered, is left with nothing in his hands.
las cuales se pierden en malas ocupaciones, y a los hijos que engendraron nada les queda en la mano.
15 As a man comes from his mother's womb, so also he will leave naked. He can take none of the fruits of his labor in his hand.
Como salió del vientre de su madre, desnudo, así vuelve, yéndose tal como vino; y nada tiene de su trabajo para llevar en su mano.
16 Another evil is that as a person comes, so he goes away. So what profit is there for him who works for the wind?
Este también es un gran mal, que como vino, así haya de volver. ¿Y de qué le aprovechó trabajar al viento?
17 During his days he eats with darkness and is greatly distressed with sickness and anger.
Además de esto, todos los días de su vida comerá en tinieblas, con mucho enojo y dolor e ira.
18 Look, what I have seen to be good and suitable is to eat and drink and to enjoy the gain from all our work, as we labor under the sun during the days of this life that God has given us. For this is man's assignment.
He aquí pues el bien que yo he visto: Que lo bueno es comer y beber, y gozar uno del bien de todo su trabajo con que se fatiga debajo del sol, todos los días de su vida que Dios le ha dado; porque esta es su parte.
19 Anyone to whom God has given riches and wealth and the ability to receive his share and rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God.
Asimismo, a todo hombre a quien Dios dio riquezas y hacienda, también le dio facultad para que coma de ellas, y tome su parte, y goce su trabajo; esto es don de Dios.
20 For he does not call to mind very often the days of his life, because God makes him keep busy with the things that he enjoys doing.
Al tal, Dios le quitará las congojas comunes a otros; pues Dios le responderá con alegría de su corazón.
