Ecclesiastes 5

Modern

Literal

Approaching God with Fear

¹Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

¹Guard your feet when you walk to the house of God; and drawing near to listen is above giving the sacrifice of fools, for there are none of them knowing they do evil.

²Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.

²Do not be rash with your mouth, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before the face of God; for God is in the heavens, and you are upon the earth—upon thus, let your words be few.

³As a dream comes through many cares,

so the speech of a fool comes with many words.

³For as a dream comes with an abundance of business, so the voice of a fool with an abundance of words.

⁴When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.

⁴When you vow a vow to God, you should not delay to fulfill it, for there is no delight in fools. What you have vowed, you must fulfill.

⁵It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.

⁵Better that you did not vow, than that you vow and not fulfill it.

⁶Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger^a that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

⁶Do not give your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the face of the messenger that it was an error. Why should God be angry concerning your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

⁷For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.

⁷For in an abundance of dreams, vapors and words abound, but you must fear God.

The Futility of Wealth

⁸If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them.

⁸If you see the oppression of the poor and the robbing of justice and righteousness in a province, you should not be astonished concerning the matter, for one higher is watching over a high one, and higher ones over them.

⁹The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

⁹And the produce of the land, it is for all: A king is served by the field.

¹⁰He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile.

¹⁰The one loving silver will not be satisfied with silver, and he who loves increase not with increase. This also is vapor.

¹¹When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes?

¹¹In the multiplying of good those devouring it are multiplied; and what profit is for its owners, but the beholding with his eyes?

¹²The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep.

¹²Sweet is the sleep of the one working, whether he eats little or much; but the satsifaction of the rich one will not allow rest for him to sleep.

¹³There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,

¹³There is a sickening evil I have seen under the sun: Riches guarded for their owner, to his harm,

¹⁴or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on.

¹⁴and that wealth perished in a business of evil, and he begets a son, and there is not anything in his hand.

¹⁵As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands.

¹⁵As he came forth from the womb of his mother naked, shall he return, to go as he came, and he shall carry nothing for his toil to go in his hand.

¹⁶This too is a grievous affliction: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind?

¹⁶And this also is a sickening evil: Exactly as, he came, so shall he go, and what profit is for him who has toiled for the wind?

¹⁷Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.

¹⁷Even all his days he will eat in darkness, and having sorrow abounding, and sickness and anger.

¹⁸Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot.

¹⁸Behold what I have seen to be good, that which is beautiful: To eat and to drink and to see good in all his toil that he toils under the sun all the days his life that God has given to him, for it is his portion.

¹⁹Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God.

¹⁹Also every man for whom God has given to him riches and wealth, and given him power to eat from it and to receive his portion and to rejoice in his toil—this, it is a gift of God.

²⁰For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.

²⁰For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.