| New King James Version | King James 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. | 1Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. |
| 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. | 2Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. |
| 3For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words. | 3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of 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 thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. |
| 5Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. | 5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. |
| 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? | 6Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? |
| 7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. | 7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou 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 thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they. |
| 9Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field. | 9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself 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. | 10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. |
| 11When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes? | 11When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their 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 a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. |
| 13There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. | 13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. |
| 14But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. | 14But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. |
| 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 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. |
| 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? | 16And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind? |
| 17All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger. | 17All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. |
| 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. | 18Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. |
| 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. | 19Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the 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 shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
|
