King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
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Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than the sacrifice offered by fools; for they do not know how to keep from doing evil.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
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Never be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
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For dreams come with many cares, and a fool's voice with 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 hast vowed.
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When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure 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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It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
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Do not let 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 words, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
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With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
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If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and right, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
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But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
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The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
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When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
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Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
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There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt,
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
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and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands.
15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
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As they came from their mother's womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands.
16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
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This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go; and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
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Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much vexation and sickness and resentment.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
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This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot.
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 labour; this is the gift of God.
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Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the 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 they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.