Fear God

5 ^[a](A)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the ^(B)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. ^2 [b]Do not be ^(C)hasty with your mouth or ^[c]impulsive in your heart to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven but you are on the earth; therefore let your ^(D)words be few. ³ For the dream comes through abundant endeavor and the voice of a ^(E)fool through abundant 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 should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. ⁶ Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh 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 wreak destruction on the work of your hands? ⁷ For in many dreams and vanities are many words. Rather, ^[d](J)fear God.

The Vanity of Riches

⁸ If you see ^(K)oppression of the poor and ^(L)robbery of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^(M)astonished over the ^[e]matter; for a lofty one keeps watch over another lofty one, and there are loftier ones over them. ⁹ But the advantage of the land in everything is this—a king committed to a cultivated field.

^10 (N)He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its produce. This too is ^[f]vanity. ^11 (O)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the success to their masters except to look on with their eyes? ¹² The sleep of the laboring man is ^(P)sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the satisfaction of the rich man does not ^[g]allow him to sleep.

¹³ There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ^(Q)riches being ^[h]hoarded by their master to his own evil demise. ¹⁴ And those riches were lost through a bad endeavor; and he became the father of a son, but there was nothing in his hand for him. ^15 (R)As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will ^(S)carry nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can bring in his hand. ¹⁶ This also is a sickening evil—exactly as a man came, so will he go. So ^(T)what is the advantage to him who ^(U)labors for the wind? ¹⁷ Also, all his days ^(V)he eats in darkness with ^(W)much vexation, and his sickness and anger.

¹⁸ Here is what I have seen to be ^(X)good, which is ^[i]beautiful: to eat, to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^(Y)portion. ¹⁹ Furthermore, as for every man to whom ^(Z)God has given riches and wealth, He has also ^(AA)empowered him to eat from them and to take up his portion and be glad in his labor; this is the ^(AB)gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not remember much the days of his life because ^(AC)God allows ^[j]him to occupy himself with the gladness of his heart.