Ecclesiastes 5

1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice 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 vowest.5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that is was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.15 As he came forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all 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 hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

Ecclesiastes 5

Rash Vows

1 s Be careful what you dots when you go to the templet of God;
draw near to listent rather than to offer a sacrificet like fools,t
for they do not realize that they are doing wrong.

2 Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God,
for God is in heaven and you are on earth!
Therefore, let your words be few.

3 Just as dreams come when there are many cares,t
sot the rash vowt of a fool occurst when there are many words.

4 When you make a vowt to God, do not delay in paying it.t
For Godt takes no pleasure in fools:
Pay what you vow!

5 It is better for you not to vow
than to vow and not pay it.t

6 Do not let your mouth cause yout to sin,
and do not tell the priest,st “It was a mistake!”t
Why make God angry at yout
so that he would destroy the work of your hands?”

7 Just as there is futility in many dreams,
so also in many words.t
Therefore, fear God!

Government Corruption

8 If you see the extortiont of the poor,
or the perversiont of justice and fairness in the government,t
do not be astonished by the matter.
For the high official is watched by a higher official,t
and there are higher ones over them!s

9 The produce of the land is seizedt by all of them,
even the king is servedt by the fields.t

Covetousness

10 The one who loves moneyt will never be satisfied with money,s
he who loves wealtht will never be satisfiedt with hist income.
This also is futile.

11 When someone’st prosperityt increases, those who consume it also increase;
so what does its ownert gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes?t

12 The sleep of the laborer is pleasant – whether he eats little or much –
but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

Materialism Thwarts Enjoyment of Life

13 Here ist a misfortunet on eartht that I have seen:
Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery.

14 Then that wealth was lost through bad luck;t
although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him.t

15 Just as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked will he return as he came,
and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil.

16 This is another misfortune:t
Just as he came, so will he go.
What did he gain from toiling for the wind?

17 Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life,t
and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

Enjoy the Fruit of Your Labor

18 I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people:t
to eat and drink,s and find enjoyment in all theirt hard workt on eartht
during the few days of their life which God has given them,
for this is their reward.t

19 To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions,
he has also given him the abilityt
to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil;
these thingst are the gift of God.

20 For he does not thinkt much about the fleetingt days of his life
because God keeps him preoccupiedt with the joy he derives from his activity.t