Ecclesiastes 5 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 5 ▼
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1 Watch thy feet when thou shalt go to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than give the sacrifice of the foolish, for they not knowing the doing of 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 Thou shalt not hasten with thy mouth, and thy heart shall not be quick to bring forth a word to the face of God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon the earth: for this thy words shall 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 For the dream came in the multitude of labor; and the voice of the foolish one in the 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 thou shalt vow a vow to God, thou shalt not delay to repay it; for there is no desire in the foolish: repay what thou shalt vow. 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 Good that thou shalt not vow rather than thou shalt vow and not requite. 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 Thou shalt not give thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; and thou shalt not say to the face of the messenger that it is an error: wherefore shall God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy 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 For in the multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words: but fear thou 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 thou shalt see the oppression of the poor one, and the spoiling of judgment and justice in a province, thou shalt not wonder at the inclination: for the high one above the high one is watching, and the high ones 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 And the profit of the earth in all: it is the king being served to the 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 He loving silver shall not be satisfied with silver; and whoever loved not the increase with the multitude. Also this 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 In the multitude of good they were multiplied eating it: and what the success to its possessors but seeing with his eyes? 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 the servant is sweet, if little, or if much he shall eat: and the satiety to the rich not permitting to him 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 an evil making sick I saw under the sun: riches watched to its owners for their evil. 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 those riches shall perish by evil labor: and he begetting a son, and not anything in his hand. 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 According as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked he shall turn back to go as he came, and he shall not take away anything in his labor that shall go in his hand. 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 And also this an evil making sick, wholly as he came so shall he go: and what to him he shall labor 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 Also all his days in darkness shall he eat, and much vexation and his sickness and his anger. 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 Behold, what I saw: good, which is beautiful to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labor that he will labor under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God gave to him; for this his portion. 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 Also every man which God gave to him wealth and riches, and permitted him to eat from it, and to lift up his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this the gift of God himself. 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 shall not much remember the days of his life; for God humbles him in the gladness 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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