Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy feet when thou goest unto 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.

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.

2 Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.

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.

3 For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice [is known] by a multitude of words.

4 When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest — complete.

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.

5 Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete.

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

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that 'it [is] an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?

Suffer 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?

7 For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.

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

8 If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perversion 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.

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

Moreover, the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.

10 Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.

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

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

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

12 Sweet [is] the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.

The sleep of a laboring man [is] sweet, whether he eateth little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.

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

14 And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!

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

15 As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand.

As he came into the world, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

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

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 labored for the wind?

17 Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.

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

18 Lo, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one's labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it [is] his portion.

Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good and comely [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor that 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 hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God.

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 labor; this [is] the gift of God.

20 For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.

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