American Standard Version ASV
Holman Christian Standard Bible CSB
1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.
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Guard your step when you go to the house of God. Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do, for they are ignorant and do wrong.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
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Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.
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For dreams result from much work and a fool's voice from many words.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
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When you make a vow to God, don't delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
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Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that is was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
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Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.
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For many dreams bring futility, also many words. So, fear God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.
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If you see oppression of the poor and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don't be astonished at the situation, because one official protects another official, and higher officials [protect] them.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served by the field.
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The profit from the land is taken by all; the king is served by the field.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
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The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth [is] never [satisfied] with income. This too is futile.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding [of them] with his eyes?
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When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes?
12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
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The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
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There is a sickening tragedy I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
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That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed.
15 As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
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As he came from his mother's womb, so he will go again, naked as he came; he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands.
16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?
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This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does he gain who struggles for the wind?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
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What is more, he eats in darkness all his days, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger.
18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.
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Here is what I have seen to be good: it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.
19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God.
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God has also given riches and wealth to every man, and He has allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor. This is a gift of God,
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.
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for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.
Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.