Ecclesiastes 5
Legacy Standard Bible
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.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Heb
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Lit hurry your heart
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Or reverence
- Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit delight
- Ecclesiastes 5:10 Or futility
- Ecclesiastes 5:12 Or grant him rest
- Ecclesiastes 5:13 Lit guarded
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or appropriate
- Ecclesiastes 5:20 As in Gr
Ecclesiastes 5
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Reverence, Humility, and Contentment
5 [a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools, for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.[b](A) 2 [c]Never be rash with your mouth nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.(B)
3 For dreams come with many cares, and a fool’s voice with many words.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.(C) 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.(D) 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words and destroy the work of your hands?
7 With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words,[d] but fear God.(E)
8 If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.(F) 9 But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field.[e]
10 The lover of money will not be satisfied with money, nor the lover of wealth with gain. This also is vanity.(G)
11 When goods increase, those who eat them increase, and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not let them sleep.(H)
13 There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt,(I) 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. 15 As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil that they may carry away with their hands.(J) 16 This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go, and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind?(K) 17 Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much anger and sickness and resentment.(L)
18 This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us, for this is our lot.(M) 19 Likewise, all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God.(N) 20 For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.