Ecclesiastes 5 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 5 ▼
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1 Watch your step whenever you visit God's house, and come more ready to listen than to offer a fool's sacrifice, since fools never think they're doing 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 impulsive with your mouth nor be in a hurry to talk in God's presence. Since God is in heaven and you're on earth, keep your speech short. 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 Too many worries lead to nightmares, and a fool is known from talking too much. 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 fail to keep it, since he isn't pleased with fools. Keep what you 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's better that you don't promise than that you do promise and not follow through. 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 Never let your mouth cause you to sin and don't proclaim in the presence of the angel, |My promise was a mistake,| for why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy what you've undertaken? 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, it is more important to 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 when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still 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 Also, the increase of the land belongs to everyone; the king himself is served by his field. 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 have enough money. Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance. This also 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 When possessions increase, so does the number of consumers; therefore what good are they to their owners, except 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 Sweet is the sleep of a working man, whether he eats a little or a lot, but the excess wealth of the rich will not allow him to rest. 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 I have observed a painful tragedy on earth: Wealth hoarded by its owner harms him, 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 and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances. Then a son is born, but there is nothing left for him. 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 Just as he came naked from his mother's womb, he will leave as naked as he came; he will receive no profit from his efforts— he cannot carry away even a handful. 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 is also a painful tragedy: However a person comes, he also departs; so what does he gain as he labors after 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 Furthermore, all his days he lives in darkness with great sorrow, anger, and affliction. 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 Look! I observed that it is good and prudent to eat, drink, and enjoy all that is good of a person's work that he does on earth during the limited days of his life, which God gives him, for this is his allotment. 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 Furthermore, for every person to whom God has given wealth, riches, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept this allotment, and to rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God. 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 For he will not brood much over the days of his life, since God will keep him occupied with the joys of his heart. 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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