Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

Watch thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be near to hearken [to his will], more than to give the sacrifice of fools; for they consider not that they do evil [to themselves].

2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.

Suffer not thy mouth to be rash, and let thy heart not be hasty to utter any word before God; for God is in the heavens, and thou art upon the earth: therefore let thy words be few.

3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice through a multitude of words.

For a dream cometh through being much employed [with something], and the voice of a fool cometh with a multitude of words.

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

When thou makest a vow unto God, do not delay to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in such fools: that which thou hast vowed must thou pay.

5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

It is better that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin; and say thou not before the messenger, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry because of thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

7 For in the multitude of dreams are vanities; so with many words: but fear God.

For in the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but rather fear thou God.

8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.

If thou see the oppression of the poor, and violence done to justice and righteousness in a province, do not feel astounded at the matter; for one that is high watcheth over the high; and over them, the highest Power.

9 Moreover the earth is every way profitable: the king [himself] is dependent upon the field.

But the advantage of a land in all things is, a king who is subject to the country.

10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity.

He that loveth money will never be satisfied with money; nor he that loveth abundance, with any increase. Also this is vanity.

11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding [of them] with his eyes?

When prosperity increaseth, those that consume it [likewise] increase: and what advantage is there to its owner, saving to see [it] with his eyes?

12 The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.

Sweet is the sleep of the laboring man, whether he eat little or much; but the overabundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely, ] riches reserved for their owner to his own hurt.

14 or those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

And these riches are lost through an unfortunate event; and he begetteth a son, and hath not the least in his hand:

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

As he came forth out of his mother's womb, naked will he return to go as he came; and not the least will he carry off for his toil, which he might take away with him.

16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

And also this is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so must he go: and what profit hath he that hath toiled for the wind?

17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation.

All his days also had he to eat in darkness, and hath had much vexation and wrath with his sickness.

18 Behold what I have seen good and comely: [it is] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith [man] laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

Behold, what I have truly seen as a good thing, that it is fitting to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all one's toil that he taketh under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God hath given him; for this is his portion.

19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God.

Also every man to whom God hath given riches and property, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil— this is the gift of God.

20 For he will not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth [him] with the joy of his heart.

Let him then remember, that the days of his life are not many, that God hath answered him with the joy of his heart.