Ecclesiastes 5 (New American Standard)
View In My BibleYour Attitude Toward God
1 a1Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the 2sacrifice of fools ; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2 bDo not be 3hasty cin word or dimpulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth ; therefore let your 4words be few. 3 For the dream comes through much eeffort and the voice of a 5fool through many words. 4 When you 6make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. 7Pay what you vow ! 5 It is 8better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your fspeech cause gyou to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a 9mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands ? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is hemptiness. Rather, i10fear God. 8 If you see 11oppression of the poor and 12denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be 13shocked at the jsight ; for one kofficial watches over another lofficial, and there are higher mofficials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.The Folly of Riches
10 14He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is nvanity. 11 15When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to olook on? 12 The sleep of the working man is 16pleasant, whether he eats little or much ; but the pfull stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun : 17riches being qhoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through ra bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing sto support him. 15 18As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will 19take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil -exactly as a man tis born, thus will he udie. So 20what is the advantage to him who 21toils for the wind ? 17 Throughout his life 22he also eats in darkness with 23great vexation, sickness and anger. 18 Here is what I have seen to be 24good and vfitting : to eat, to drink and wenjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few xyears of his life which God has given him; for this is his y25reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom 26God has given riches and wealth, He has also 27empowered him to eat from them and to receive his zreward and rejoice in his labor ; this is the 28gift of God. 20 For he will not often aaconsider the bbyears of his life, because 29God keeps cchim occupied with the gladness of his heart.New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved. (New American Standard Version - Holy Bible)
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