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.

Keep your feet when you go to a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know 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.

Do not cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore let your 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 the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance 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 you vow a vow to God, do not delay to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which you vow—complete.

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

Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.

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?

Do not permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?

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

For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear 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 oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness you see in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.

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

And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.

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

Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [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?

In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?

12 The sleep of a laboring 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 the laborer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not permitting 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 painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

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

And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and 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 labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turns back to go as he came, and he does not take away anything of his labor, that goes 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 labors for the wind?

And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?

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

He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.

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 labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Behold, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor that he labors at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God has given to 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 labor—this is the gift of God.

Every man also to whom God has given wealth and riches, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is a 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 does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.