Ecclesiastes 5

1 Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.

Look well to thy feet, when thou goest to the house of God, and draw nigh to hear, rather than to offer sacrifice as fools. For they consider not that they do evil.

2 Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be swift to utter any thing before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.

3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

For a dream cometh with much bustle, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.

4 When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

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

5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

Better is it that thou shouldst not vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.

6 Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

Suffer not thy mouth to bring punishment on thy flesh, and say not before the angel, “It was a mistake.” Wherefore should God be angry on account of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.

For in a multitude of dreams is a multitude of vanities; so also in a multitude of words; but fear thou God!

8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

If thou seest oppression of the poor, and justice and equity perverted in a province, be not alarmed at the matter. For over the high there is a higher, who watcheth, and there is one higher than they all.

9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

An advantage to a land in all respects is a king over cultivated ground.

10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; and he that loveth riches shall have no profit from them. This also is vanity.

11 When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

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

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

Sweet is the sleep of a laboring man, whether he have eaten little or much; but the repletion of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, — riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt.

14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

For those riches perish by some calamity, and, if he have a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, so shall he go away again, as he came, and shall take away nothing of his labor which he may carry in his hand.

16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours for the wind?

This is also a sore evil, that, in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit is there to him who toileth for wind?

17 All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

Also all his days he ate in darkness, and had much grief and anxiety and vexation.

18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

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

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

To whatever man also God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him to enjoy them, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

For he will not much remember the days of his life; for God answereth him with the joy of his heart.