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Don’t Daydream or Speak Carelessly When You Worship

[a]Watch your step when you go to the house of Elohim. It is better to go there and listen than to bring the sacrifices fools bring. Fools are unaware that they are doing something evil.

Don’t be in a hurry to talk. Don’t be eager to speak in the presence of Elohim. Since Elohim is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words.

Daydreaming comes when there are too many worries.

Careless speaking comes when there are too many words.

When you make a promise to Elohim, don’t be slow to keep it because Elohim doesn’t like fools. Keep your promise. It is better not to make a promise than to make one and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don’t say in the presence of a temple messenger, “My promise was a mistake!” Why should Elohim become angry at your excuse and destroy what you’ve accomplished?

In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear Elohim.

Corrupt Officials Have Corrupt Officials over Them

Don’t be surprised if you see poor people being oppressed, denied justice, or denied their rights in any district. One authority is watching over another, and they both have authorities watching over them. Yet, a king is an advantage for a country with cultivated fields.[b]

The Value of Money

10 Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless. 11 As the number of goods increase, so do the number of people who consume them. What do owners gain from all their goods except the opportunity to look at them?

12 The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep.

Economic Ruin

13 There is a painful tragedy that I have seen under the sun: Riches lead to the downfall of those who hoard them. 14 These hoarded riches were then lost in bad business deals. The owners had children, but now they have nothing to give them. 15 They came from their mother’s womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won’t even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work.

16 This also is a painful tragedy: They leave exactly as they came. What advantage do they gain from working so hard for the wind? 17 They spend their entire lives in darkness, in constant frustration, sickness, and resentment.

Conclusion: God Alone Gives Contentment

18 At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives Elohim gives us. That is our lot in life. 19 It is a gift from Elohim when Elohim gives some people wealth and possessions, the power to enjoy them, the ability to accept their lot in life, and the ability to rejoice in their own hard work. 20 These people won’t give much thought to their brief lives because Elohim keeps them occupied with the joy in their hearts.

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ecclesiastes 5:1–20 in English Bibles is Ecclesiastes 4:17–5:19 in the Hebrew Bible.
  2. Ecclesiastes 5:9 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.

Fulfill Your Vow to God

[a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.(A)
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.(B)
A dream(C) comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.(D)

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.(E) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.(F) It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.(G) Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.(H)

Riches Are Meaningless

If you see the poor oppressed(I) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
    whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
    This too is meaningless.

11 As goods increase,
    so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
    except to feast their eyes on them?

12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
    whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
    permits them no sleep.(J)

13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:(K)

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14     or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
    there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
    and as everyone comes, so they depart.(L)
They take nothing from their toil(M)
    that they can carry in their hands.(N)

16 This too is a grievous evil:

As everyone comes, so they depart,
    and what do they gain,
    since they toil for the wind?(O)
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
    with great frustration, affliction and anger.

18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink(P) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor(Q) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,(R) and the ability to enjoy them,(S) to accept their lot(T) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.(U) 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.(V)

Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.