Ecclesiastes 5
5
Listen to God Rather Than Uttering Rash Vows
1#Ecclesiastes 5:1–20 in the English Bible is 4:17–5:19 in the Hebrew Bible Guard your steps when you go to the house of God;
draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice of fools,
for they do not know that they are doing evil.
2Do not be rash with your mouth,
and do not let your heart be quick to utter a word before God.
For God is in heaven, and you are on earth;
therefore, let your words be few.
3For a dream comes with many cares,
and the voice of a fool with many words.
4When you make a vow to God,
do not delay in fulfilling it,
for he takes no pleasure#Literally “there is no desire” in fools.
Fulfill what you vow!
5It is better that you not vow
than that you vow and not fulfill it.
6Do not let your mouth lead your flesh into sin,
and do not tell the messenger that it was a mistake.
Why anger God at your words,
so that he destroys the work of your hands?
7For with many dreams come vanities and numerous words.
Therefore, fear God!
Powerful Bureaucrats Exploit the Helpless Poor
8Do not be surprised if you see the poor being oppressed with violence
or do not see justice and righteousness in the province.
For one official is watched by a higher official,
and there are even higher officials over them!
9The produce of the land is exploited by everyone;
even the king profits from the field of the poor!#Literally “for the field is even worked for the king”
There is Never Enough Money to Satisfy
10Whoever loves money is not satisfied with money,
and whoever loves wealth is not satisfied with profit.
This also is vanity!
11When prosperity increases,
those who consume it increase.
So its owner gains nothing,
except to see his wealth before it is spent.#Literally “And what gain has its owner but to see it with his eyes?”
12The sleep of the laborer is pleasant, whether he eats little or much,
but the wealth of the rich man does not allow him to rest.
Hoarding Wealth Can Backfire
13There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded#Literally “kept ” by its owner to his harm. 14That wealth was lost in a bad venture. Although he has borne a child, he has nothing to leave to him.#Literally “he has nothing in his hand” 15Just as he came from his mother’s womb naked, he will depart#Literally “return to go” just as he came; he will take nothing with him for his toil. 16This also is a grievous illness. Exactly as he came, so he will go. What profit does he gain for all his toil for the wind? 17Also, he eats in darkness all his days; he is frustrated in much sickness and resentment.
If You Have Wealth, Enjoy It as God Enables
18Look! I have discovered what is good and fitting: to eat and to drink and to enjoy#Literally “to see goodness” all the fruit of the toil with which one toils under the sun during the number of the days of his life that God gives to him—for this is his lot.#Or “fate” 19This indeed is a gift of God: everyone to whom God gives wealth and possessions, he also empowers him to enjoy them,#Literally “to eat from it” to accept his lot, and to rejoice in the fruit of his toil. 20For he does not remember the brief days of his life, for God keeps his heart preoccupied with enjoyment of life.
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Ecclesiastes 5
5
Don't Make Rash Promises
1Be careful about going to the Temple. It is better to go there to learn than to offer sacrifices as foolish people do, people who don't know right from wrong. 2Think before you speak, and don't make any rash promises to God. He is in heaven and you are on earth, so don't say any more than you have to. 3The more you worry, the more likely you are to have bad dreams, and the more you talk, the more likely you are to say something foolish. 4#Ps 66.13–14So when you make a promise to God, keep it as quickly as possible. He has no use for a fool. Do what you promise to do. 5Better not to promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it. 6Don't let your own words lead you into sin, so that you have to tell God's priest that you didn't mean it. Why make God angry with you? Why let him destroy what you have worked for? 7No matter how much you dream, how much useless work you do, or how much you talk, you must still stand in awe of God.
Life is Useless
8Don't be surprised when you see that the government oppresses the poor and denies them justice and their rights. Every official is protected by the one over him, and both are protected by still higher officials.
9Even a king depends on the harvest.#5.9 Verse 9 in Hebrew is unclear.
10If you love money, you will never be satisfied; if you long to be rich, you will never get all you want. It is useless. 11The richer you are, the more mouths you must feed. All you gain is the knowledge that you are rich. 12Workers may or may not have enough to eat, but at least they can get a good night's sleep. The rich, however, have so much that they stay awake worrying.
13Here is a terrible thing that I have seen in this world: people save up their money for a time when they may need it,#5.13 for… it; or to their own hurt. 14and then lose it all in some unlucky deal and end up with nothing left to pass on to their children. 15#Job 1.21; Ps 49.17; 1 Tim 6.7We leave this world just as we entered it — with nothing. In spite of all our work there is nothing we can take with us. 16It isn't right! We go just as we came. We labour, trying to catch the wind, and what do we get? 17We have to live our lives in darkness and grief,#5.17 Some ancient translations in darkness and grief; Hebrew eating in darkness. worried, angry, and sick.
18This is what I have found out: the best thing anyone can do is to eat and drink and enjoy what he has worked for during the short life that God has given him; this is man's fate. 19If God gives a man wealth and property and lets him enjoy them, he should be grateful and enjoy what he has worked for. It is a gift from God. 20Since God has allowed him to be happy, he will not worry too much about how short life is.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.