Ecclesiastes 5
5
Be Careful About Making Promises
1Be careful when you go to worship at the Temple. It is better to listen than to offer foolish sacrifices without even knowing you are doing wrong.
2Think before you speak,
and be careful about what you say to God.
God is in heaven,
and you are on the earth,
so say only a few words to God.
3The saying is true: Bad dreams come from too much worrying,
and too many words come from foolish people.
4If you make a promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it. God is not happy with fools, so give God what you promised. 5It is better not to promise anything than to promise something and not do it. 6Don’t let your words cause you to sin, and don’t say to the priest at the Temple, “I didn’t mean what I promised.” If you do, God will become angry with your words and will destroy everything you have worked for. 7Many useless promises are like so many dreams; they mean nothing. You should respect God.
Officers Cheat Each Other
8In some places you will see poor people mistreated. Don’t be surprised when they are not treated fairly or given their rights. One officer is cheated by a higher officer who in turn is cheated by even higher officers. 9The wealth of the country is divided up among them all. Even the king makes sure he gets his share of the profits.
Wealth Cannot Buy Happiness
10Whoever loves money
will never have enough money;
Whoever loves wealth
will not be satisfied with it.
This is also useless.
11The more wealth people have,
the more friends they have to help spend it.
So what do people really gain?
They gain nothing except to look at their riches.
12Those who work hard sleep in peace;
it is not important if they eat little or much.
But rich people worry about their wealth
and cannot sleep.
13I have seen real misery here on earth:
Money saved is a curse to its owners.
14They lose it all in a bad deal
and have nothing to give to their children.
15People come into this world with nothing,
and when they die they leave with nothing.
In spite of all their hard work,
they leave just as they came.
16This, too, is real misery:
They leave just as they came.
So what do they gain from chasing the wind?
17All they get are days full of sadness and sorrow,
and they end up sick, defeated, and angry.
Enjoy Your Life’s Work
18I have seen what is best for people here on earth. They should eat and drink and enjoy their work, because the life God has given them on earth is short. 19God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and property he gives them, as well as the ability to accept their state in life and enjoy their work. 20They do not worry about how short life is, because God keeps them busy with what they love to do.
Currently Selected:
Ecclesiastes 5: NCV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 5
5
Reverence, Humility, and Contentment
1Guard your steps when you enter the house of God. # Ex 3:5 Drawing near to obey is better than the sacrifice of fools, because they do not know that they are committing evil. # Pr 15:8 # 5:1 4:17 in the Hb text.
2Do not be quick to speak with your mouth,
or be hasty to utter a word # Pr 10:19; Mt 6:7 before God
with your heart.
For God is in heaven,
and you are on the earth;
therefore may your words be few.
3For a dream comes when there is a great burden,
and a foolish voice when there are many words. # Pr 15:2
4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you have vowed. # Nu 30:2; Ps 66:13–14 5Better it is that you not make a vow, than make a vow and not fulfill it. # Pr 20:25; Ac 5:4 6Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not say to the priestly messenger that it is an inadvertent sin. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? 7For when there is an abundance of dreams and futilities, then words increase too. Therefore it is God you should fear. # Ecc 12:13
The Vanity of Riches
8If you observe in a district the oppression of the poor # Ecc 4:1 and violation of justice and righteousness, do not be astounded by the matter. For the high official is watched over by an even higher official, and there are even higher officials over them. # Ps 12:5; 82:1 9But this is an advantage to the land in every way: a king committed to a cultivated field.
10The one who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
the one who loves money desires revenues in abundance.
This also is vanity. # Ecc 2:11; 4:8
11When there is an increase of good things,
there is an increase of those who devour them.
And what profit is there to the one who owns good things,
except to see them with his eyes?
12Sweet is the sleep # Pr 3:24 of one who works hard,
whether he eats little or much;
but due to the excess of the rich,
there will be no sleep for him.
13There is a grave misery that I have observed under the sun:
when riches were kept by an owner to his hurt, # Ecc 6:1–2
14and those riches were lost in an unfortunate business deal;
and although he has a son,
there is nothing left to put in his hand.
15As he came from his mother’s womb,
naked he will depart, as he came; # Job 1:21; Ps 49:17
he will not take anything for his labor,
which he may carry away with his hands.
16And this also is a grave misery:
As he entered, so will he leave;
what benefit is there to the one who toils for the wind? # Pr 11:29; Ecc 1:3
17Moreover, in all his days he eats in darkness, # Ps 127:2
while he is greatly irritated in sickness and anger.
18This is what I have observed to be good and pleasing: to eat and drink and see benefit in all one’s labor # Ecc 2:24 with which he toils under the sun the few days of his life, which God has given to him, for this is his reward. # Ecc 2:10 19Likewise, everyone to whom God has given wealth and possessions, # Ecc 6:2 and the ability to eat from it, and to receive his reward and to rejoice in his labor—this is a gift from God. # Ecc 3:13 20For he will seldom remember the passing days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.