5 When you go to God's temple, be careful what you do. Listen carefully when you come near to God. Do not offer sacrifices in the way that foolish people do. They do not even know that they are doing something bad.
2 You should not speak too soon.
Think carefully before you make a promise to God.
God is in heaven and you are here on the earth.
So do not say too much.
3 If you worry about many things,
you will have many dreams.
If you talk too much,
you will say foolish things.
4 If you make a promise to God,
quickly do what you have promised.
God is not pleased with foolish people.
So give what you have promised to give.
5 It is better not to promise anything
than to promise something and then not do it.
6 Do not say things that cause you to do something wrong. Do not say to the priest, ‘My promise was a mistake.’ That would make God angry with you. He might destroy everything that you have worked to get for yourself. 7 If you dream all the time or if you talk all the time, that has no purpose. Instead, respect God and obey him.
8 You may see a place where poor people are suffering. Powerful people may be hurting them. Do not be surprised if you see that. The judges may not be doing what is right and fair. That happens because the government's officers have to obey people who are more important than them. 9 All of them take something for themselves from the land. The king himself receives his share of the crops.
10 People who love money never have enough.
They may get more and more valuable things,
but they are never happy.
This also has no purpose.
11 As a person's money becomes more,
there are more people who want a share of it.
Money does not help the people who have a lot of it.
They see it, but it quickly disappears.
12 Someone who has worked hard all day will sleep well at night.
That is true even if they have not had much food to eat.
But the rich man worries about his riches.
So he does not sleep well.
13 I have seen another terrible thing that happens on the earth.
Some people may store their riches,
but it does not help them in a time of trouble.
14 Something may happen in the future
that causes their money to disappear.
After they die,
no money remains for their children.
15 When people are born,
they bring nothing with them.
When they die,
they take nothing away with them.
All their hard work finally leaves them with nothing.
16 This is also a terrible thing to happen.
People leave this earth with nothing,
as they came into it with nothing.
All their hard work has been useless,
like someone who tries to catch the wind.
17 Even if people are rich, they do not enjoy their food.
They suffer all through their lives.
They are upset, angry and sick.
18 But I realized that there is one good thing for people to do. We should be happy to eat and to drink. And we should enjoy the hard work that we do on the earth. That is what God wants us to do during the short time that he has given us on this earth. 19 God gives some people a lot of money and valuable things. He helps them to enjoy those things and to be happy with their work. All of this is a gift from God. 20 People like that do not think a lot about what has happened in their lives. God helps them to be happy as they are busy with their work.
5 Be very careful when you go to worship God. It is better to listen to God than to give sacrifices like fools. Fools often do bad things, and they don’t even know it. 2 Be careful when you make promises to God. Be careful about what you say to him. Don’t let your feelings cause you to speak too soon. God is in heaven, and you are on the earth. So you need to say only a few things to him. This saying is true:
3 Bad dreams come from too many worries,
and too many words come from the mouth of a fool.
4 If you make a promise to God, keep your promise. Don’t be slow to do what you promised. God is not happy with fools. Give God what you promised to give him. 5 It is better to promise nothing than to promise something and not be able to do it. 6 So don’t let your words cause you to sin. Don’t say to the priest, [ a ] “I didn’t mean what I said.” If you do this, God might become angry with your words and destroy everything you have worked for. 7 You should not let your useless dreams and bragging bring you trouble. You should respect God.
8 In some country you will see poor people who are forced to work very hard. You will see that this is not fair to them. It is against their rights. But don’t be surprised! The ruler who forces them to work has another ruler who forces him. And there is still another ruler who forces both of these rulers. 9 Even the king is a slave—his country owns him. [ b ]
10 Those who love money will never be satisfied with the money they have. Those who love wealth will not be satisfied when they get more and more. This is also senseless.
11 The more wealth people have, the more “friends” they have to help spend it. So the rich really gain nothing. They can only look at their wealth.
12 Those who work hard all day come home and sleep in peace. It is not important if they have little or much to eat. But the rich worry about their wealth and are not able to sleep.
13 There is a very sad thing that I have seen happen in this life. [ c ] People save their money for the future. [ d ] 14 Then something bad happens and they lose everything. So they have nothing to give to their children.
15 People come into the world with nothing. And when they die, they leave with nothing. They might work hard to get things, but they cannot take anything with them when they die. 16 It is very sad that people leave the world just as they came. So what does a person gain from “trying to catch the wind”? 17 They only get days that are filled with sadness and sorrow. In the end, they are troubled, sick, and angry.
18 I have seen what is best for people to do on earth: They should eat, drink, and enjoy the work they have during their short time here. God has given them these few days, and that is all they have.
19 If God gives some people wealth, property, and the power to enjoy those things, they should enjoy them. They should accept the things they have and enjoy their work—that is a gift from God. 20 People don’t have many years to live, so they must remember these things all their life. God will keep them busy with the work they love to do. [ e ]
5 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by 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.
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 it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but 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 he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be 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 is also vanity.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it 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 labour; 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.
5 [ a ] ( A ) Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the ( B ) sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 [ b ] Do not be ( C ) quick with your mouth or [ c ] impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your ( D ) words be few. 3 For the dream comes through much [ d ] effort, and the voice of a ( E ) fool through many words.
4 When you ( F ) make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ( G ) Pay what you vow! 5 It is ( H ) better that you not vow, than vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your [ e ] speech cause [ f ] you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ( I ) mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, [ g ] ( J ) fear God.
8 If you see ( K ) oppression of the poor and ( L ) denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ( M ) shocked at the [ h ] sight; for one [ i ] official watches over another [ j ] official, and there are higher [ k ] officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.
10 ( N ) One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. 11 ( O ) When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to [ l ] look at them ? 12 The sleep of the laborer is ( P ) sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the [ m ] full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.
13 There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ( Q ) wealth being [ n ] hoarded by its owner to his detriment. 14 When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing [ o ] to support him. 15 ( R ) As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will ( S ) take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person [ p ] is born, so will he [ q ] die. ( T ) What then is the advantage for him who ( U ) labors for the wind? 17 All his life ( V ) he also eats in darkness with ( W ) great irritation, sickness, and anger.
18 Here is what I have seen to be ( X ) good and [ r ] fitting: to eat, to drink, and [ s ] enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few [ t ] years of his life which God has given him; for this is his [ u ] ( Y ) reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every person to whom ( Z ) God has given riches and wealth, He has also ( AA ) given him the opportunity to [ v ] enjoy them and to receive his [ w ] reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ( AB ) gift of God. 20 For he will not often call to mind the [ x ] years of his life, because ( AC ) God keeps [ y ] him busy with the joy of his heart.
5 [ a ] Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God. ( A )
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few. ( B )
3 A dream ( C ) comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool. ( D )
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. ( E ) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. ( F ) 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. ( G ) 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God. ( H )
8 If you see the poor oppressed ( I ) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep. ( J )
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: ( K )
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart. ( L )
They take nothing from their toil ( M )
that they can carry in their hands. ( N )
16 This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they depart,
and what do they gain,
since they toil for the wind? ( O )
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink ( P ) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor ( Q ) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, ( R ) and the ability to enjoy them, ( S ) to accept their lot ( T ) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. ( U ) 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart. ( V )
