1 K eep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.

¶ Watch thy feet when thou goest to the house of God and draw near with more willingness to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know how to do what God wants.

2 B e not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.

Do not be rash with thy mouth and do not let thy 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 F or a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice through a multitude of words.

For out of much preoccupation comes the dream, and the voice of the fool out of a multitude of words.

4 W hen thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.

¶ When thou dost vow a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 B etter is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

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

6 S uffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was ignorance. Why should thou cause God to be angry because of thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands?

7 F or in the multitude of dreams are vanities; so with many words: but fear God.

Because dreams abound, and vanities and the words are many, but fear thou God.

8 I f thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they.

If thou seest violence unto the poor and the extortion of rights and justice in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for height is looking upon height; and there is one higher than they.

9 M oreover the earth is every way profitable: the king is dependent upon the field.

¶ And there is higher authority in all of the things of the earth, but he who serves the field is king.

10 H e that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity.

He that loves money shall not be satisfied with money; nor he that loves abundance with increase; this is also vanity.

11 W hen goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding with his eyes?

When goods increase, those that eat them are increased; and what good is there to the owners thereof, except the beholding of them with their eyes?

12 T he sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep.

The sleep of the servant is sweet whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 T here is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

There is another sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

14 o r those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

which are lost by evil pursuits and to the sons which he has begotten; there is nothing left in his hand.

15 A s he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go away again as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

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 A nd this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind?

And this also is a sore evil; that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what profit has he that has laboured for the wind?

17 A ll his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation.

In addition to this, all the days of his life he shall eat in darkness, with much wrath and pain and sorrow sickness.

18 B ehold what I have seen good and comely: to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion.

¶ Behold therefore the good which I have seen: that good is to eat and to drink and to enjoy of the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it is his portion.

19 E very man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God.

Likewise, unto every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

20 F or he will not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth with the joy of his heart.

To such a one, God will remove the concerns common to others, for God shall answer him with joy from his heart.