1 K eep your foot when you go to the house of God. For to draw near to hear and obey is better than to give the sacrifice of fools too ignorant to know that they are doing evil.

Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

2 B e not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.

Do not be hasty in word or 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 words be few.

3 F or a dream comes with much business and painful effort, and a fool’s voice with many words.

For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.

4 W hen you vow a vow or make a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God has no pleasure in fools (those who witlessly mock Him). Pay what you vow.

When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

5 I t is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

6 D o not allow your mouth to cause your body to sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was an error or mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

7 F or in a multitude of dreams there is futility and worthlessness, and ruin in a flood of words. But fear God.

For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

8 I f you see the oppression of the poor and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in the state or province, do not marvel at the matter. for a higher than the high is observing, and higher ones are over them.

If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.

9 M oreover, the profit of the earth is for all; the king himself is served by the field and in all, a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields.

After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. The Folly of Riches

10 H e who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance with gain. This also is vanity (emptiness, falsity, and futility)!

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.

11 W hen goods increase, they who eat them increase also. And what gain is there to their owner except to see them with his eyes?

When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?

12 T he sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the fullness of the rich will not let him sleep.

The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

13 T here is a serious and severe evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

14 B ut those riches are lost in a bad venture; and he becomes the father of a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

15 A s came forth from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; and he will take away nothing for all his labor which he can carry in his hand.

As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

16 A nd this also is a serious and severe evil—that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he who labors for the wind?

This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?

17 A ll his days also he eats in darkness, and much sorrow and sickness and wrath are his.

Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.

18 B ehold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is for one to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun all the days which God gives him—for this is his part.

Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.

19 A lso, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, and the power to enjoy them and to accept his appointed lot and to rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God.

Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.

20 F or he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God answers and corresponds to the joy of his heart.

For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.