Ecclesiastes 5
1 Custodi pedem tuum ingrediens domum Dei, et appropinqua ut audias. Multo enim melior est obedientia, quam stultorum victimae, qui nesciunt quid faciunt mali.
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 Ne temere quid loquaris, neque cor tuum sit velox ad proferendum sermonem coram Deo. Deus enim in caelo, et tu super terram: idcirco sint pauci sermones tui.
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 Multas curas sequuntur somnia, et in multis sermonibus invenietur stultitia.
For the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
4 Si quid vovisti Deo, ne moreris reddere: displicet enim ei infidelis et stulta promissio. sed quodcumque voveris, redde:
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 multoque melius est non vovere, quam post votum promissa non reddere.
Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.
6 Ne dederis os tuum ut peccare facias carnem tuam: neque dicas coram angelo: Non est providentia: ne forte iratus Deus contra sermones tuos, dissipet cuncta opera manuum tuarum.
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 Ubi multa sunt somnia, plurimae sunt vanitates, et sermones innumeri: tu vero Deum time.
For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear God.
8 Si videris calumnias egenorum, et violenta iudicia, et subverti iustitiam in provincia, non mireris super hoc negotio: quia excelso excelsior est alius, et super hos quoque eminentiores sunt alii,
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 et insuper universae terrae rex imperat servienti.
And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
10 Avarus non implebitur pecunia: et qui amat divitias, fructum non capiet ex eis: et hoc ergo vanitas.
Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.
11 Ubi multae sunt opes, multi et qui comedunt eas. Et quid prodest possessori, nisi quod cernit divitias oculis suis?
In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
12 Dulcis est somnus operanti, sive parum, sive multum comedat: saturitas autem divitis non sinit eum dormire.
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 Est et alia infirmitas pessima, quam vidi sub sole: divitiae conservatae in malum domini sui.
There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
14 Pereunt enim in afflictione pessima: generavit filium, qui in summa egestate erit.
And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
15 Sicut egressus est nudus de utero matris suae, sic revertetur, et nihil auferet secum de labore suo.
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 Miserabilis prorsus infirmitas: quo modo venit, sic revertetur. Quid ergo prodest ei quod laboravit in ventum?
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 Cunctis diebus vitae suae comedit in tenebris et in curis multis, et in aerumna atque tristitia.
He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
18 Hoc itaque visum est mihi bonum ut comedat quis, et bibat, et fruatur laetitia ex labore suo, quo laboravit ipse sub sole numero dierum vitae suae, quos dedit ei Deus, et haec est pars illius.
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 Et omni homini, cui dedit Deus divitias, atque substantiam, potestatemque ei tribuit ut comedat ex eis, et fruatur parte sua, et laetetur de labore suo: hoc est donum Dei.
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 Non enim satis recordabitur dierum vitae suae, eo quod Deus occupet deliciis cor eius.
For he does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.
