1 W alk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know 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 D o not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your 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 comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

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

4 W hen you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have 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 not to vow than to vow and not pay.

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

6 D o not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your 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 and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. The Vanity of Gain and Honor

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

8 I f you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.

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 profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from 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 who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves 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 increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their 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 a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit 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 severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

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

14 B ut those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets 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 from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor 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 severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored 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 he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.

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

18 H ere is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.

¶ 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 A s for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the 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 dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy 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.