Wycliffe WYC
King James Version KJV
1 Thou that enterest into the house of God, keep thy foot, and nigh thou for to hear; for why much better is obedience, than the sacrifice of fools, that know not what evil they do. (Thou who enterest into the House of God, keep thy foot, and draw close to hear; for obedience is much better than the sacrifice of fools, who know not what evil they do.)
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.
2 Speak thou not anything follily (Do not thou say anything foolish), neither (let) thine heart be swift to bring forth a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou art on earth, therefore (let) thy words be few.
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.
3 Dreams follow many busynesses, and folly shall be found in many words.
3
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4 If thou hast avowed anything to God, tarry thou not to yield it; for an unfaithful and fond promise displeaseth him; but yield thou whatever thing thou hast avowed;
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.
5 and it is much better to make not a vow, than after a vow to yield not the promises. (and it is much better to not make a vow, than to make a vow and then not yield the promises.)
5
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Give thou not thy mouth, that thou make thy flesh to do sin; neither say thou before an angel, No purveyance there is; lest peradventure the Lord be wroth on thy words, and destroy all the works of thine hands. (Give thou not thy mouth, that thou make thy flesh to do sin; nor then say thou before an angel, This is but a mistake; lest perhaps the Lord be angry with thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.)
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?
7 Where be many dreams, be full many vanities, and words without number; but dread thou God. (Where there be many dreams, there is much that is empty and futile, and words without number; rather, fear thou God/rather, have thou reverence for God.)
7
For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
8 If thou seest false challenges of needy men, and violent dooms (If thou seest the poor oppressed, and grave injustice), and that rightfulness is destroyed in the province, wonder thou not on this doing; for another is higher than an high man, and also other men be more high above these men;
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.
9 and furthermore the king of all (the) earth commandeth to the servant. (and ultimately the King of all the earth commandeth to all his servants.)
9
Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 An avaricious man shall not be [ful]filled of money; and he that loveth riches shall not take (the) fruits of them; and therefore this is vanity. (A greedy person shall never be fulfilled, or filled full, with money; and he who loveth riches shall never truly enjoy their fruits, or their earnings; and so this is empty and futile.)
10
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 Where there be many riches, also many men there be, that eat those (Where there be many riches, there also be many people, who shall eat them); and what profiteth it to the holder, but that he seeth [the] riches with his eyes?
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?
12 Sleep is sweet to him that worketh, whether he eat little either much; but the fullness of a rich man suffereth not him to sleep. (Sleep is sweet to him who worketh, whether he eat a little or a great deal; but a rich person's fullness will not allow him to sleep.)
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.
13 Also another sickness is full evil, which I saw under the sun; riches (that) be kept into the harm of their lord.
13
There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14 For they perish in the worst torment; (and) he begat a son, that shall be in sovereign neediness. (And then those riches be lost in a terrible calamity; and so he hath begotten a son, who shall be left in great neediness.)
14
But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he went naked out of his mother's womb, so he shall turn again; and he shall take away with him nothing of his travail. (As he went naked out of his mother's womb, so he shall return; and he shall not take away with him anything gained from all his labour.)
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.
16 Utterly it is a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall turn again. What profiteth it to him, that he travailed into the wind? (Yea, it is utterly a wretched sickness; as he came, so he shall return. What hath it profited him? he hath only laboured for the wind!)
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?
17 In all the days of his life he ate in darknesses, and in many busynesses, and in neediness, and sorrow.
17
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Therefore this seemed good to me, that a man eat, and drink, and use gladness of his travail, in which he travailed under the sun, in the number of days of his life, which God gave to him; and this is his part. (And so it seemed good to me, that a person should eat, and drink, and enjoy, or get happiness from, the fruits of his labour, for which he laboured under the sun, in the days of his life, which God gave to him; yea, this is his portion.)
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.
19 And to each man, to whom God gave riches, and chattel, and gave power to him to eat of those, and to use his part, and to be glad of his travail; this is the gift of God. (And to each person, to whom God gave riches, and substance, and gave the power to him to enjoy them, and to use his portion, and to be happy in his labour, or in his work; this is the gift of God.)
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.
20 For he shall not think much on the days of his life, for God occupieth his heart with delights.
20
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
The King James Version is in the public domain.