Ecclesiastes 5

1 Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.

Look well to thy feet, when thou goest to the house of God, and draw nigh to hear, rather than to offer sacrifice as fools. For they consider not that they do evil.

2 You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.

Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be swift to utter any thing before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.

3 Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.

For a dream cometh with much bustle, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.

4 If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.

When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.

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

6 You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.

Suffer not thy mouth to bring punishment on thy flesh, and say not before the angel, “It was a mistake.” Wherefore should God be angry on account of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must fear God.

For in a multitude of dreams is a multitude of vanities; so also in a multitude of words; but fear thou God!

8 If you see false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.

If thou seest oppression of the poor, and justice and equity perverted in a province, be not alarmed at the matter. For over the high there is a higher, who watcheth, and there is one higher than they all.

9 But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.

An advantage to a land in all respects is a king over cultivated ground.

10 A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; and he that loveth riches shall have no profit from them. This also is vanity.

11 Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage hath the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?

12 Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.

Sweet is the sleep of a laboring man, whether he have eaten little or much; but the repletion of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, — riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt.

14 For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.

For those riches perish by some calamity, and, if he have a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 Just as he went forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.

As he came forth from his mother's womb naked, so shall he go away again, as he came, and shall take away nothing of his labor which he may carry in his hand.

16 It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?

This is also a sore evil, that, in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit is there to him who toileth for wind?

17 All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.

Also all his days he ate in darkness, and had much grief and anxiety and vexation.

18 And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.

Behold, what I have seen is, that it is good and proper for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor which he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him; for it is his portion.

19 And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.

To whatever man also God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him to enjoy them, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

20 And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.

For he will not much remember the days of his life; for God answereth him with the joy of his heart.