Ecclesiastes 5 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 5 ▼
swipe to see more →
NABRE
New American Bible Revised
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Guard your step when you go to the house of God. Draw near for obedience, rather than for the fools’ offering of sacrifice; for they know not how to keep from 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 Be not hasty in your utterance and let not your heart be quick to utter a promise in God’s presence. God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. 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 As dreams come along with many cares, so a fool’s voice along with a multitude of 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 vow to God, delay not its fulfillment. For God has no pleasure in fools; fulfill what you have vowed. 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 vow than make it and not fulfill 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 Let not your utterances make you guilty, and say not before his representative, “It was a mistake.” Why should God be angered by your words and destroy the works of your hands? 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 Despite many dreams, futilities, and a multitude of words, 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 If you see oppression of the poor, and violation of rights and justice in the realm, do not be astonished by the fact, for the high official has another higher than he watching him and above these are others higher still—. 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 But profitable for a land in such circumstances is a king concerned about cultivation. 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 The covetous are never satisfied with money, nor lovers of wealth with their gain; so this too is vanity. 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 Where there are great riches, there are also many to devour them. Of what use are they to the owner except as a feast for the eyes alone? 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 Sleep is sweet to the laborer, whether there is little or much to eat; but the abundance of the rich allows them no 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 This is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches hoarded by their owners to their own hurt. 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 Should the riches be lost through some misfortune, they may have offspring when they have no means. 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 As they came forth from their mother’s womb, so again shall they return, naked as they came, having nothing from their toil to bring with them. 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 too is a grievous evil, that they go just as they came. What then does it profit them to toil 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 All their days they eat in gloom with great vexation, 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 Here is what I see as good: It is appropriate to eat and drink and prosper from all the toil one toils at under the sun during the limited days of life God gives us; for this is our lot. 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 Those to whom God gives riches and property, and grants power to partake of them, so that they receive their lot and find joy in the fruits of their toil: 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 they will hardly dwell on the shortness of life, because God lets them busy themselves with the joy of their 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page