Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot when thou goest 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.

Watch thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be near to hearken [to his will], more than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil [to themselves].

2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.

3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by a multitude of words.

For a dream cometh through being much employed [with something], and the voice of a fool cometh with a multitude of words.

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

When thou makest a vow unto God, do not delay to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in such fools: that which thou hast vowed must thou pay.

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

It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.

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

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin; and say thou not before the messenger, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

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

For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou God.

8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, wonder not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there are higher than they.

If thou see the oppression of the poor, and violence done to justice and righteousness in a province, do not feel astounded at the matter; for one that is high watcheth over the high; and over them, the highest Power.

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

But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.

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

He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.

11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners of them, except the beholding of them with their eyes?

When prosperity increaseth, those that consume it [likewise] increase: and what advantage is there to its owner, saving to see [it] with his eyes?

12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eateth little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

Sweet is the sleep of the laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the overabundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners of them to their hurt.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.

14 But those riches perish by evil labour: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:

15 As he came forth 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.

As he came forth out of his mother's womb, naked will he return to go as he came; and not the least will he carry off for his toil, which he might take away with him.

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

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

17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.

18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and proper for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.

Behold, what I have truly seen as a good thing, that it is fitting to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all one's toil that he taketh under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God hath given him; for this is his portion.

19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

Also every man to whom God hath given riches and property, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil— this is the gift of God.

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

Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.