Ecclesiastes 5:1-11 ▼

1 (4:17) When thou commest into the house of God, kepe thy foote and drawe nye, that God which is at hande may heare that thou geue not the offerynges of fooles: for they knowe naught but to do euyll.

2 (5:1) Be not hastye with thy mouth, and let not thine heart speake any thyng rashly before God: For God is in heauen, and thou vpon earth, therfore let thy wordes be fewe.

3 (5:2) For where much carefulnesse is, there are many dreames: and where many wordes are, there men may heare fooles.

4 (5:3) If thou make a vowe vnto God, be not slacke to perfourme it: As for foolish vowes he hath no pleasure in them: yf thou promise any thyng, pay it.

5 (5:4) For better is it that thou make no vowe, then that thou shouldest promise and not pay.

6 (5:5) Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy fleshe for to sinne, neither say thou before the angell that it is thy ignoraunce: for then God wyll be angry at thy voyce, and destroy all the worke of thyne handes.

7 (5:6) And why? wheras are many dreames and many wordes, there are also diuers vanities: but loke that thou feare God.

8 (5:7) If thou seest the poore to be oppressed, and wrongfully dealt withall, so that equitie and right of the lawe is wrested in the lande, maruayle not thou at such a thyng: for he that is higher then the hyghest regardeth, and there be hygher then they.

9 (5:8) The encrease of the earth vpholdeth all thyng: yea the kyng hym selfe is maynteyned by husbandry.

10 (5:9) He that loueth money, wyll neuer be satisfied with money: and he that loueth riches, shalbe without the fruite therof: This is also a vayne thyng.

11 (5:10) Wheras much riches is, there are many also that spende them away: And what pleasure more hath he that possesseth them, sauyng that he may loke vpon them with his eyes?