| New King James Version | Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Walk 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. | 1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to approach in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they ignorantly do wrong. |
| 2Do 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. | 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. |
| 3For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words. | 3Just as dreams accompany much labor, so also a fool's voice comes with many words. |
| 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— | 4When you make a vow to God, don't delay fulfilling it, because he does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. |
| 5Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. | 5Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. |
| 6Do 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? | 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? |
| 7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. | 7For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God. |
| 8If 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. | 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. |
| 9Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field. | 9The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field. |
| 10He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. | 10The one who loves silver is never satisfied with silver, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile. |
| 11When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes? | 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? |
| 12The 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. | 12The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep. |
| 13There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. | 13There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. |
| 14But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. | 14That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed. |
| 15As 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. | 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. |
| 16And 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? | 16This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain who struggles for the wind? |
| 17All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger. | 17What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much frustration, sickness, and anger. |
| 18Here 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. | 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. |
| 19As 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. | 19Furthermore, everyone to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God, |
| 20For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart. | 20for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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