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Ecclesiastes 5
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 5
New International Version
Fulfill Your Vow to God
5 [a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.(A)
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.(B)
3 A dream(C) comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool.(D)
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.(E) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.(F) 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.(G) 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.(H)
Riches Are Meaningless
8 If you see the poor oppressed(I) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.(J)
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:(K)
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.(L)
They take nothing from their toil(M)
that they can carry in their hands.(N)
16 This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they depart,
and what do they gain,
since they toil for the wind?(O)
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink(P) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor(Q) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,(R) and the ability to enjoy them,(S) to accept their lot(T) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.(U) 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.(V)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.
Ecclesiastes 5
Common English Bible
Ecclesiastes 5
Common English Bible
Listen and speak carefully
5 Watch[a] your steps when you go to God’s house. It’s more acceptable to listen than to offer the fools’ sacrifice—they have no idea that they’re acting wrongly. 2 Don’t[b] be quick with your mouth or say anything hastily before God, because God is in heaven, but you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.
3 Remember:
Dreams come with many cares,
and the voice of fools with many words.
4 When you make a promise to God, fulfill it without delay because God has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you promise. 5 Better not to make a promise than to make a promise without fulfilling it. 6 Don’t let your mouth make a sinner of you, and don’t say to the messenger: “It was a mistake!” Otherwise, God may become angry at such talk and destroy what you have accomplished.
7 Remember:
When dreams multiply,
so do pointless thoughts and excessive speech.
Therefore, fear God.
Hoarding wealth
8 If you witness the poor being oppressed or the violation of what is just and right in some territory, don’t be surprised because a high official watches over another, and yet others stand over them. 9 But the land’s yield should be for everyone if the field is cultivated.[c] 10 The money lover isn’t satisfied with money; neither is the lover of wealth satisfied with income. This too is pointless. 11 When good things flow, so do those who consume them. But what do owners benefit from such goods, except to feast their eyes on them? 12 Sweet is the worker’s sleep, whether there’s a lot or little to eat; but the excess of the wealthy won’t let them sleep.
13 I have seen a sickening tragedy under the sun: people hoard their wealth to their own detriment. 14 Then that wealth is lost in a bad business venture so that when they have children, they are left with nothing. 15 Just as they came from their mother’s womb naked, naked they’ll return, ending up just like they started. All their hard work produces nothing—nothing they can take with them. 16 This too is a sickening tragedy: they must pass on just as they arrived. What then do they gain from working so hard for wind? 17 What’s more, they constantly eat in darkness, with much aggravation, grief, and anger.
18 This is the one good thing I’ve seen: it’s appropriate for people to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work under the sun during the brief lifetime that God gives them because that’s their lot in life. 19 Also, whenever God gives people wealth and riches and enables them to enjoy it, to accept their place in the world[d] and to find pleasure in their hard work—all this is God’s gift. 20 Indeed, people shouldn’t brood too much over the days of their lives because God gives an answer in their hearts’ joy.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 4:17 in Heb
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 5:1 in Heb
- Ecclesiastes 5:9 Correction; Heb uncertain; or The land's advantage in everything is this: a king for a plowed field.
- Ecclesiastes 5:19 Or portion in life, as in 5:18
Ecclesiastes 5
King James Version
Ecclesiastes 5
King James Version
5 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.
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.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
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 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
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?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
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.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
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?
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.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
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.
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?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
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.
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.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Eclesiastés 5
Nueva Versión Internacional
Eclesiastés 5
Nueva Versión Internacional
Hay que cumplir las promesas
5 Cuando vayas a la casa de Dios, cuida tus pasos y acércate a escuchar en vez de ofrecer sacrificio de necios, que ni conciencia tienen de que hacen mal.
2 No te apresures,
ni con la boca ni con el corazón,
a hacer promesas delante de Dios;
él está en el cielo
y tú estás en la tierra.
Mide, pues, tus palabras.
3 De las muchas ocupaciones brotan los sueños
y de las muchas palabras, las tonterías.
4 Cuando hagas una promesa a Dios, no tardes en cumplirla, porque a Dios no le agradan los necios. Cumple tus promesas: 5 Es mejor no hacer promesas que hacerlas y no cumplirlas. 6 No permitas que tu boca te haga pecar, ni digas luego ante el mensajero del Templo[a] que lo hiciste sin querer. ¿Por qué ha de enojarse Dios por lo que dices y destruir el fruto de tu trabajo? 7 En medio de tantos sueños de vanidad y palabrerías, muestra temor a Dios.
Futilidad de las riquezas
8 Si en alguna provincia ves que se oprime al pobre y que a la gente se le niega un juicio justo, no te asombres de tales cosas; porque a un alto oficial lo vigila otro más alto y, por encima de ellos, hay otros altos oficiales. 9 Pero es provechoso para el país que el rey esté al servicio del campo.[b]
10 Quien ama el dinero, de dinero no se sacia.
Quien ama las riquezas nunca tiene suficiente.
¡También esto es vanidad!
11 Donde abundan los bienes,
sobra quien se los gaste;
¿y qué saca de esto su dueño,
aparte de contemplarlos?
12 El trabajador duerme tranquilo,
coma mucho o coma poco.
Al rico sus muchas riquezas
no lo dejan dormir.
13 He visto un mal terrible bajo el sol:
riquezas acumuladas que redundan en perjuicio de su dueño
14 y riquezas que se pierden en un mal negocio.
Y si llega su dueño a tener un hijo,
ya no tendrá nada que dejarle.
15 Tal como salió del vientre de su madre,
así se irá: desnudo como vino al mundo
y sin llevarse el fruto de tanto trabajo.
16 Esto es una terrible desgracia:
tal como viene el hombre, así se va.
¿Y de qué le sirve afanarse tanto en busca del viento?
17 Toda su vida come en tinieblas,
en medio de muchas molestias, enfermedades y enojos.
18 Esto es lo que he comprobado: que en la vida bajo el sol lo mejor es comer, beber y disfrutar del fruto de nuestros afanes. Es lo que Dios nos ha concedido; es lo que nos ha tocado. 19 Además, a quien Dios concede abundancia y riquezas, también concede comer de ellas, así como tomar su parte y disfrutar de sus afanes, pues esto es don de Dios. 20 Y como Dios le llena de alegría el corazón, muy poco reflexiona el hombre en cuanto a su vida.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI) 
Santa Biblia, NUEVA VERSIÓN INTERNACIONAL® NVI® © 1999, 2015, 2022 por Biblica, Inc.®, Inc.® Usado con permiso de Biblica, Inc.® Reservados todos los derechos en todo el mundo. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.