Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot, when thou goest into the house of God, and draw nigh to hear. For much better is obedience, than the victims of fools, who know not what evil they do.

Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.

2 Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

3 Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.

For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

4 If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.

When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

5 And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.

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

6 Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.

Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

7 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.

For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.

8 If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

9 Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

10 A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.

He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

11 Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?

When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

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

The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

13 There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

14 For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.

Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.

As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

16 A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?

This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labours for the wind?

17 All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.

All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

18 This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, in which he labours under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

19 And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take 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 entertaineth his heart with delight,

For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.