Ecclesiastes 5

1 Put your feet down with care when you go to the house of God, for it is better to give ear than to make the burned offerings of the foolish, whose knowledge is only of doing evil.

Be careful when you go into God's house. It's better to listen and respond rather than offer meaningless sacrifices. People who do that don't even know they are doing wrong.

2 Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth — so let not the number of your words be great.

Don't say rash things, and think before you speak to God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so keep it short.

3 As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.

When you worry too much, you get nightmares; when you talk too much, you say foolish things.

4 When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.

When you make a vow to God, with a curse on you if you don't keep it, don't be slow in keeping it, for he is not happy with foolish behavior. So do what you promised!

5 It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.

Better not to make any vows at all than to make vow you don't keep.

6 Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to the work of your hands.

Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise? He could bring your own curse down on you.

7 Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.

There are certainly many dreams, questions of meaning, and lots of different ideas, but you are to follow God.

8 If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.

If you see poor people somewhere being oppressed, or truth and justice violated, don't be shocked at it, for every official is responsible to others higher up, and there are officials over them as well.

9 It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.

However, what the land produces is for everyone—even the king benefits from what is grown.

10 He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.

People who love money never have enough money; those who love wealth never have enough income. This too is so temporary and makes little sense.

11 When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?

The more you earn, the more you have eating into your income. It only looks like you have more!

12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.

Those who work hard sleep well, whether they have a little to eat or plenty, but the rich own so much they don't get any rest.

13 There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun — wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.

I observed something here that is really sickening: people who hoard money damage themselves.

14 And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.

They put their money into bad investments and lose everything. Now when we're born, we don't bring anything into the world.

15 As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.

When we die, we leave just as naked as when we were born, taking nothing with us from all we've worked for.

16 And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?

This also makes me sick! What do people gain, working for the wind?

17 All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.

They live their lives in darkness, very frustrated, sick, and resentful.

18 This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.

But I observed that what is good and right is to eat, drink, and to find enjoyment in the work God gives us here in this life. This is God's gift to us.

19 Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by God.

In addition, everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions he also gives the ability to enjoy these gifts, to be grateful for what they are given, and to enjoy the work they do. This is also God's gift to us.

20 He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.

In fact such people have little time to think about life because God keeps them busy with all that makes them happy.