Ecclesiastes 5

1 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.

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.

2 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.

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.

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

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

4 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.

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.

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

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

6 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.

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.

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

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

8 If you should see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment 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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

11 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?

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

12 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.

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.

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

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

14 And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

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.

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

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.

16 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 labors?

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?

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

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

18 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 labor in which he may labor under the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.

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.

19 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 labor; this is the gift of God.

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.

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

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.