| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong. | 1Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong. |
| 2Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. | 2Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few. |
| 3For dreams result from much work and a fool's voice from many words. | 3Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words. |
| 4When you make a vow to God, don't delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. | 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! |
| 5Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. | 5It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it. |
| 6Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? | 6Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, "It was a mistake!" Why make God angry at you so that he would destroy the work of your hands?" |
| 7For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God. | 7Just as there is futility in many dreams, so also in many words. Therefore, fear God! |
| 8If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don't be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them. | 8If you see the extortion of the poor, or the perversion of justice and fairness in the government, do not be astonished by the matter. For the high official is watched by a higher official, and there are higher ones over them! |
| 9The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field. | 9The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields. |
| 10The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. | 10The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile. |
| 11When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes? | 11When someone's prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? |
| 12The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep. | 12The sleep of the laborer is pleasant--whether he eats little or much--but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep. |
| 13There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. | 13Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery. |
| 14That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. | 14Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. |
| 15As he came from his mother's womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands. | 15Just as he came forth from his mother\'s womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil. |
| 16This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? | 16This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind? |
| 17What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger. | 17Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger. |
| 18Here is what I have seen to be good: it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward. | 18I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward. |
| 19God has also given riches and wealth to every man, and He has allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, | 19To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God. |
| 20for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart. | 20For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity. |
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