5:1 Keep thy foot, whensoever thou goest to
the house of God; and [when thou art] near to hear, let thy sacrifice [be]
better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.
5:2 Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be swift to utter
anything before God; for God is in heaven above, and thou upon earth:
therefore let thy words be few.
5:3 For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is
with a multitude of words.
5:4 Whenever thou shalt vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for [he has]
no pleasure in fools: pay thou therefore whatsoever thou shalt have vowed.
5:5 [It is] better that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow
and not pay.
5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to lead thy flesh to sin; and say not in the
presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at thy voice, and
destroy the works of thy hands.
5:7 For [there is evil] in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many
words: but fear thou God.
5:8 If thou shouldest 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.
5:9 Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king [is dependent
on] the tilled field.
5:10 He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver: and who has
loved gain, in the abundance thereof? this is also vanity.
5:11 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?
5:12 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.
5:13 There is an infirmity which I have seen under the sun, [namely], wealth
kept for its owner to his hurt.
5:14 And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and [the man] begets a
son, and there is nothing in his hand.
5:15 As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, he shall return back as
he came, and he shall receive nothing for his labour, that it should go
[with him] in his hand.
5:16 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 labours?
5:17 Yea, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow,
and infirmity, and wrath.
5:18 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 labour in which he may labour under
the sun, [all] the number of the days of his life which God has given to
him: for it is his portion.
5:19 Yea, 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 labour; this is the gift of God.
5:20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles
him in the mirth of his heart. |
5:1 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.
5:2 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.
5:3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice
is known by multitude of words.
5:4 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.
5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow
and not pay.
5:6 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?
5:7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers
vanities: but fear thou God.
5:8 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.
5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served
by the field.
5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that
loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
5:11 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?
5:12 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.
5:13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches
kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
5:14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and
there is nothing in his hand.
5:15 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.
5:16 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?
5:17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and
wrath with his sickness.
5:18 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.
5:19 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.
5:20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God
answereth him in the joy of his heart. |