Ecclesiastes 5 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 5 ▼
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1 Watch your step when you go to the house of God. It is better to go there and listen than to bring the sacrifices fools bring. Fools are unaware that they are doing [something] evil. Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Don't be in a hurry to talk. Don't be eager to speak in the presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
3 Daydreaming comes when there are too many worries. Careless speaking comes when there are too many words. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.
4 When you make a promise to God, don't be slow to keep it because God doesn't like fools. Keep your promise. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.
5 It is better not to make a promise than to make one and not keep it. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
6 Don't let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don't say in the presence of a [temple] messenger, |My promise was a mistake!| Why should God become angry at your excuse and destroy what you've accomplished? Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
7 In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear God. For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
8 Don't be surprised if you see poor people being oppressed, denied justice, or denied their rights in any district. One authority is watching over another, and they both have authorities watching over them. If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
9 Yet, a king is an advantage for a country with cultivated fields. But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless. He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
11 As the number of goods increase, so do the number of people who consume them. What do owners gain [from all their goods] except [the opportunity] to look at them? When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep. Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
13 There is a painful tragedy that I have seen under the sun: Riches lead to the downfall of those who hoard them. There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 These hoarded riches were then lost in bad business deals. The owners had children, but now they have nothing to give them. and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 They came from their mother's womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won't even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work. As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.
16 This also is a painful tragedy: They leave exactly as they came. What advantage do they gain from working so hard for the wind? This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?
17 They spend their entire lives in darkness, in constant frustration, sickness, and resentment. Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us. That is our lot [in life]. Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.
19 It is a gift from God when God gives some people wealth and possessions, the power to enjoy them, [the ability] to accept their lot in life, and [the ability] to rejoice in their own hard work. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
20 These people won't give much thought to their brief lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy in their hearts. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
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