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.
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Ecclesiastes 5: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 5
5
1 # 5.1 Ch 4.17 in Heb Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2#5.2 Ch 5.1 in Heb Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let your words be few.
3For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
4When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. 5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger#5.6 Or angel that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7For when dreams increase, empty words grow many:#5.7 Or For in a multitude of dreams there is futility, and ruin in a flood of words but do you fear God.
8If you see in a province the poor oppressed and justice and right violently taken away, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9But in all, a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields.#5.9 Or The profit of the land is among all of them; a cultivated field has a king
10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves wealth, with gain: this also is vanity.
11When goods increase, they increase who eat them; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let him sleep.
13There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14and those riches were lost in a bad venture; and he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil, which he may carry away in his hand. 16This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he that he toiled for the wind, 17and spent all his days in darkness and grief,#5.17 Gk: Heb all his days also he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and resentment?
18Behold, what I have seen to be good and to be fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life which God has given him, for this is his lot. 19Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and find enjoyment in his toil—this is the gift of God. 20For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America