Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep your foot when you go 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.

Keep your foot, whenever you go to the house of God; and [when you are] near to hear, let your sacrifice [be] better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.

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

Be not hasty with your mouth, and let not your heart be swift to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.

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

For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.

4 When you vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed.

Whenever you shall vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for [he has] no pleasure in fools: pay you therefore whatever you shall have vowed.

5 Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

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

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

Suffer not your mouth to lead your flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at your voice, and destroy the works of your hands.

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

For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear you God.

8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regards; and there be higher than they.

If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgement and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for [there is] a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them.

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

Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent on] the tilled field.

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

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.

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

In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding [it] with his eyes?

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

The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

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

There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth kept for its owner to his hurt.

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

And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing 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 labor, which he may carry away in his hand.

As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go [with him] in his hand.

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

And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?

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

Yes, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.

18 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 takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him: for it is his portion.

Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing [for a man] to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which 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 thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

Yes, and [as for] every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

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

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.