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Ecclesiastes 5
The Message
Ecclesiastes 5
The Message
God’s in Charge, Not You
5 Watch your step when you enter God’s house.
Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering
a sacrifice,
Doing more harm than good.
2 Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.
Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.
God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better.
3 Overwork makes for restless sleep.
Overtalk shows you up as a fool.
4-5 When you tell God you’ll do something, do it—now.
God takes no pleasure in foolish drivel. Vow it, then do it.
Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.
6 Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you.
When called to account, you won’t get by with
“Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation?
7 But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk
There’s always this rock foundation: Fear God!
A Salary of Smoke
8-9 Don’t be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There’s no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. But the good earth doesn’t cheat anyone—even a bad king is honestly served by a field.
10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money,
Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke.
11 The more loot you get, the more looters show up.
And what fun is that—to be robbed in broad daylight?
12 Hard and honest work earns a good night’s sleep,
Whether supper is beans or steak.
But a rich man’s belly gives him insomnia.
13-17 Here’s a piece of bad luck I’ve seen happen:
A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him
And then loses it all in a bad business deal.
He fathered a child but hasn’t a cent left to give him.
He arrived naked from the womb of his mother;
He’ll leave in the same condition—with nothing.
This is bad luck, for sure—naked he came, naked he went.
So what was the point of working for a salary of smoke?
All for a miserable life spent in the dark?
Make the Most of What God Gives
18-20 After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.
传道书 5
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
传道书 5
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
敬畏 神，谨慎许愿
5 你到 神的殿，脚步要谨慎；近前聆听，胜于愚昧人献祭，因为他们不知道所作的是恶的。（本节在《马索拉文本》为4:17） 2 在 神面前不可冒失开口，心急发言，因为 神在天上，你在地上，所以你的言语要寡少。（本节在《马索拉文本》为5:1） 3 挂虑多就令人作梦，言语多就显出愚昧。 4 你向 神许了愿，就不可迟迟不还，因为他不喜悦愚昧人；所许的愿必须偿还。 5 许愿不还，不如不许。 6 不可任你的口使自己犯罪，也不可在使者前面说是许错了。何必使 神因你的声音发怒，破坏你手中的工作呢？ 7 多梦和多话，都是虚空的，你只要敬畏 神。
贪财的一无所得
8 如果你在一省之中，看到穷人遭受欺压，公正和公义被夺去，也不必因此惊讶，因为高位者之上有较高的照应，在他们之上还有更高的。 9 各人都从土地得着利益，就是君王也得到田地的供应。
10 贪爱银子的，不因有银子满足；贪爱财富的，也不因得利知足。这也是虚空。 11 财物增加，吃用的人也增加，物主除了眼看以外，还有甚么益处呢？ 12 劳力的人无论吃多吃少，都睡得甜；财主的丰足，却不容他安睡。
13 我看见日光之下有一令人痛心的憾事，就是财主积聚财富，反受其害。 14 遭遇祸患，财富就尽失；他即使生了儿子，也没有甚么留给他。 15 他怎样从母胎赤身而来，也必怎样赤身而去；在劳碌中得来的，他的手也带不走甚么。
16 他怎样来，也要怎样去，这也是令人痛心的憾事；他为风劳碌，有甚么益处呢？ 17 他终生在黑暗中吃喝，多有愁烦、疾病与愤怨。
能享用财富是 神的恩赐
18 我认为既善又美的，就是人在 神所赐给他一生有限的年日中吃喝，享受他在日光之下劳碌所得的一切，因为这是他的分。 19 蒙 神赐予财富与资产的人， 神都使他能够享用，并取自己的分，在劳碌中自得其乐，这是 神的恩赐。 20 他不多思念自己一生的年日，因为 神使喜乐充满他的心。
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.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Chinese New Version (Simplified) (CNVS)
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.