Chapter 5

Your Attitude Toward God

1 1aGuard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the bsacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.

2 1Do not be ahasty 2in word or 3impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your bwords be few.

3 For the dream comes through much 1effort and the voice of a afool through many words.

4 When you amake a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. bPay what you vow!

5 It is abetter that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

6 Do not let your 1speech cause 2you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a amistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

7 For in many dreams and in many words there is 1emptiness. Rather, 2afear God.

8 If you see aoppression of the poor and bdenial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be cshocked at the 1sight; for one 2official watches over another 2official, and there are higher 3officials over them.

9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

The Folly of Riches

10 aHe who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is 1vanity.

11 aWhen good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to 1look on?

12 The sleep of the working man is apleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the 1full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: ariches being 1hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

14 When those riches were lost through 1a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing 2to support him.

15 aAs he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will btake nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.

16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man 1is born, thus will he 2die. So awhat is the advantage to him who btoils for the wind?

17 Throughout his life ahe also eats in darkness with bgreat vexation, sickness and anger.

18 Here is what I have seen to be agood and 1fitting: to eat, to drink and 2enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few 3years of his life which God has given him; for this is his 4breward.

19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom aGod has given riches and wealth, He has also bempowered him to eat from them and to receive his 1reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the cgift of God.

20 For he will not often 1consider the 2years of his life, because aGod keeps 3him occupied with the gladness of his heart.