New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 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.
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Put your feet down with care when you go to the house of God, for it is better to give ear than to make the burned offerings of the foolish, whose knowledge is only of doing evil.
2 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.
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Be not unwise with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to say anything before God, because God is in heaven and you are on the earth--so let not the number of your words be great.
3 For dreams come with many cares, and a fool's voice with many words.
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As a dream comes from much business, so the voice of a foolish man comes with words in great number.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow.
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When you take an oath before God, put it quickly into effect, because he has no pleasure in the foolish; keep the oath you have taken.
5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
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It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.
6 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?
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Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to the work of your hands.
7 With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God.
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Because much talk comes from dreams and things of no purpose. But let the fear of God be in you.
8 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.
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If you see the poor under a cruel yoke, and law and right being violently overturned in a country, be not surprised, because one authority is keeping watch on another and there are higher than they.
9 But all things considered, this is an advantage for a land: a king for a plowed field.
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It is good generally for a country where the land is worked to have a king.
10 The lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth, with gain. This also is vanity.
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He who has a love for silver never has enough silver, or he who has love for wealth, enough profit. This again is to no purpose.
11 When goods increase, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
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When goods are increased, the number of those who take of them is increased; and what profit has the owner but to see them?
12 Sweet is the sleep of laborers, whether they eat little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let them sleep.
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The sleep of a working man is sweet, if he has little food or much; but to him who is full, sleep will not come.
13 There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt,
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There is a great evil which I have seen under the sun--wealth kept by the owner to be his downfall.
14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands.
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And I saw the destruction of his wealth by an evil chance; and when he became the father of a son he had nothing in his hand.
15 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.
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As he came from his mother at birth, so does he go again; he gets from his work no reward which he may take away in his hand.
16 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?
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And this again is a great evil, that in all points as he came so will he go; and what profit has he in working for the wind?
17 Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, in much vexation and sickness and resentment.
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All his days are in the dark, and he has much sorrow, pain, disease, and trouble.
18 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.
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This is what I have seen: it is good and fair for a man to take meat and drink and to have joy in all his work under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; that is his reward.
19 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.
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Every man to whom God has given money and wealth and the power to have pleasure in it and to do his part and have joy in his work: this is given by God.
20 For they will scarcely brood over the days of their lives, because God keeps them occupied with the joy of their hearts.
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He will not give much thought to the days of his life; because God lets him be taken up with the joy of his heart.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.