Ecclesiastes 5
Christian Standard Bible
Caution in God’s Presence
5 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do,(A) for they ignorantly do wrong. 2 Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.(B) 3 Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool’s voice comes with many words.(C) 4 When you make a vow to God,(D) don’t delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. 5 Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.(E) 6 Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you,(F) and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake.(G) Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For many dreams bring futility; so do many words.(H) Therefore, fear God.
The Realities of Wealth
8 If you see oppression of the poor(I) and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation,(J) because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. 9 The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.[a](K)
10 The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. 11 When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? 12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.
13 There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.(L) 14 That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. 15 As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came;(M) he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. 16 This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain(N) who struggles for the wind?(O) 17 What is more, he eats in darkness all his days,(P) with much frustration, sickness, and anger.
18 Here is what I have seen to be good:(Q) It is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.(R) 19 Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth,(S) he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor.(T) This is a gift of God,(U) 20 for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
Footnotes
- 5:9 Hb obscure
Ecclesiastes 5
International Standard Version
Advice in Worship
5 [a]Watch your step whenever you visit God’s house, and come more ready to listen than to offer a fool’s sacrifice, since fools[b] never think they’re doing evil.
2 [c]Don’t be impulsive with your mouth
nor be in a hurry to talk in God’s presence.
Since God is in heaven
and you’re on earth,
keep your speech short.
3 Too many worries lead to nightmares,
and a fool is known from talking too much.
Keep Your Promises to God
4 When you make a promise to God, don’t fail to keep it, since he isn’t pleased with fools. Keep what you promise— 5 it’s better that you don’t promise than that you do promise and not follow through.[d] 6 Never let your mouth cause you[e] to sin and don’t proclaim in the presence of the angel,[f] “My promise[g] was a mistake,” for why should God be angry at your excuse[h] and destroy what you’ve undertaken? 7 In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, it is more important to fear God.
The Use and Abuse of Wealth
8 Don’t be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts[i] in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them. 9 Also, the increase of the land belongs to everyone; the king himself is served by his[j] field.
10 Whoever loves money will never have enough money.
Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance.
This also is pointless.
11 When possessions increase,
so does the number of consumers;
therefore what good are they to their owners,
except to look at them?
12 Sweet is the sleep of a working man,
whether he eats a little or a lot,
but the excess wealth of the rich
will not allow him to rest.
13 I have observed a painful tragedy on earth:
Wealth hoarded by its owner harms him,
14 and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances.
Then a son is born,
but there is nothing left for him.[k]
15 Just as he came naked from his mother’s womb,
he will leave[l] as naked as he came;
he will receive no profit from his efforts—
he cannot carry away even a handful.
16 This is also a painful tragedy:
However a person comes, he also departs;
so what does he gain as he labors after the wind?
17 Furthermore, all his days he lives[m] in darkness
with great sorrow, anger, and affliction.
The Use and Abuse of Accomplishment
18 Look! I observed that it is good and prudent to eat, drink, and enjoy all that is good of a person’s[n] work that he does on earth during the limited days of his life, which God gives him, for this is his allotment. 19 Furthermore, for every person to whom God has given wealth, riches, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept this allotment, and to rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God. 20 For he will not brood much over the days of his life, since God will keep him occupied with the joys of his heart.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 This v. is 4:17 in MT
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 Lit. they
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 This v. is 5:1 in MT, and so throughout the chapter.
- Ecclesiastes 5:5 Or not pay
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit. cause your body
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 LXX reads of God
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit. It
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit. voice
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Or judgment
- Ecclesiastes 5:9 The Heb. lacks his
- Ecclesiastes 5:14 Lit. nothing in his hand
- Ecclesiastes 5:15 Lit. return
- Ecclesiastes 5:17 Lit. eats
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Lit. of his
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