1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God H430 ; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything H1697 before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words H1697 be few. 3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s H3684 voice with a multitude of words. 4 When H834 thou vowest a vow H5087 unto God , defer not to pay H7999 it ; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay H7999 that which thou vowest. 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 H430 be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God. 8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are 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 H7235 , with increase H7235 : this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase H7235 , they are increased H7235 that eat H398 them ; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? 12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich H6239 will not suffer him to sleep. 13 There is a grievous evil H7451 which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches H6239 kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: 14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand H3027 . 15 As he came H935 forth from his mother’s womb, naked shall he go H935 again as he came H935 , and shall take nothing for his labor , which he may carry away in his hand. 16 And this also H1571 is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind? 17 All his days H3117 also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath. 18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat H398 and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor H5999 , wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God H430 hath given H5414 him : for this is his portion H2506 . 19 Every man also to whom God H430 hath given riches and wealth , and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor— this is the gift of God H430 . 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. ← Ecclesiastes 4 Ecclesiastes 6 → Commentaries on Ecclesiastes 5 American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
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