Chapter 5

Keep³ thy foot when thou goest⁴ to the house of God, and be more ready to hear,² than to give² the sacrifice of fools: for they consider⁶ not that they do² evil.

Be not rash¹⁷ with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty¹⁷ to utter⁵³ [any] thing before God: for God [is] in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.

For a dream cometh⁶ through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice [is known] by multitude of words.

When thou vowest⁴ a vow unto God, defer¹⁷ not to pay¹⁵ it; for [he hath] no pleasure in fools: pay¹⁶ that which thou hast vowed.⁴

Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow,⁴ than that thou shouldest vow⁴ and not pay.¹⁷

Suffer⁴ not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin;⁵³ neither say⁴ thou before the angel, that it [was] an error: wherefore should God be angry⁴ at thy voice, and destroy¹⁴ the work of thine hands?

For in the multitude of dreams and many⁵³ words [there are] also [divers] vanities: but fear³ thou God.

If thou seest⁴ the oppression of the poor,⁶ and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel⁴ not at the matter: for [he that is] higher than the highest regardeth;⁶ and [there be] higher than they.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king [himself] is served⁸ by the field.

He that loveth⁶ silver shall not be satisfied⁴ with silver; nor he that loveth⁶ abundance with increase: this [is] also vanity.

When goods increase,² they are increased¹ that eat⁶ them: and what good [is there] to the owners thereof, saving the beholding ⁷²¹² [of them] with their eyes?

The sleep of a labouring man⁶ [is] sweet, whether he eat⁴ little or much:⁵³ but the abundance of the rich will not suffer⁵⁶ him to sleep.²

There is a sore⁶ evil [which] I have seen¹ under the sun, [namely], riches kept⁷ for the owners thereof to their hurt.

But those riches perish¹ by evil travail: and he begetteth⁵² a son, and [there is] nothing ³⁹⁷² in his hand.

As he came forth¹ of his mother's womb, naked shall he return⁴ to go² as he came,¹ and shall take⁴ nothing ³⁹⁷² of his labour, which he may carry away⁵⁵ in his hand.

And this also [is] a sore⁶ evil, [that] in all points as he came,¹ so shall he go:⁴ and what profit hath he that hath laboured⁴ for the wind?

All his days also he eateth⁴ in darkness, and [he hath] much⁵³ sorrow¹ and wrath with his sickness.

Behold [that] which I have seen:¹ [it is] good and comely [for one] to eat² and to drink,² and to enjoy² the good of all his labour that he taketh⁴ under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth¹ him: for it [is] his portion.

Every man also to whom God hath given¹ riches and wealth, and hath given him power⁵² to eat² thereof, and to take² his portion, and to rejoice² in his labour; this [is] the gift of God.

For he shall not much⁵³ remember⁴ the days of his life; because God answereth⁵⁶ [him] in the joy of his heart.