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Ecclesiastes 5
New American Standard Bible

Your Attitude toward God

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.

The Foolishness of Riches

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.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Heb
  2. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
  3. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Lit hurry your heart
  4. Ecclesiastes 5:3 Lit task
  5. Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit mouth
  6. Ecclesiastes 5:6 Lit your body
  7. Ecclesiastes 5:7 Or revere
  8. Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit delight
  9. Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit high one
  10. Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit high one
  11. Ecclesiastes 5:8 Lit ones
  12. Ecclesiastes 5:11 Lit see with their eyes
  13. Ecclesiastes 5:12 Lit satiety
  14. Ecclesiastes 5:13 Lit guarded
  15. Ecclesiastes 5:14 Lit in his hand
  16. Ecclesiastes 5:16 Lit comes
  17. Ecclesiastes 5:16 Lit go
  18. Ecclesiastes 5:18 Lit beautiful
  19. Ecclesiastes 5:18 Lit see good
  20. Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or days
  21. Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or share
  22. Ecclesiastes 5:19 Lit eat from it
  23. Ecclesiastes 5:19 Or share
  24. Ecclesiastes 5:20 Or days
  25. Ecclesiastes 5:20 As in LXX
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Ecclesiastes 5
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Caution in God’s Presence

5 [a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do,(A) for they ignorantly do wrong. 2 [b]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 For dreams result from much work and a fool’s voice from 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.[c](K)

10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, 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 sorrow, 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 God has also given riches and wealth to every man,(S) and He has 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

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ec 4:17 in Hb
  2. Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ec 5:1 in Hb
  3. Ecclesiastes 5:9 Or An advantage for the land in every respect is a king for a cultivated field; Hb obscure
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