1 Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil. 2 Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few. 3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words. 4 When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.

8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them. 9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. 14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand. 15 As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind? 17 All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.

1 Watch thy feet when thou goest to the house of God and draw near [with] more [willingness] to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know how to do what [God] wants.

2 Do not be rash with thy mouth and do not let thy heart be hasty to utter [any] thing before God, for God [is] in heaven and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.

3 For [out] of much preoccupation comes the dream, and the voice of the fool [out] of a multitude of words.

4 When thou dost vow a vow unto God, do not defer to pay it; for [he has] no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed.

5 [It is] better that thou should not vow than that thou should vow and not pay.

6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it [was] ignorance. Why [should thou cause] God to be angry because of thy voice and destroy the work of thine hands?

7 Because dreams abound, and vanities and the words are many, but fear thou God.

8 If thou seest violence unto the poor and [the] extortion of rights and justice in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for height is looking upon height; and [there is] one higher than they.

9 And there is higher [authority] in all of the things of the earth, [but] he who serves the field is king.

10 He that loves money shall not be satisfied with money; nor he that loves abundance with increase; this [is] also vanity.

11 When goods increase, those that eat them are increased; and what good [is there] to the owners thereof, except the beholding [of them] with their eyes?

12 The sleep of the servant [is] sweet whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

13 There is [another] sore evil [which] I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt;

14 which are lost by evil pursuits and to the sons which he has begotten; [there is] nothing left in his hand.

15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

16 And this also [is] a sore evil; [that] in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what profit has he that has laboured for the wind?

17 In addition to this, all the days of his life he shall eat in darkness, with much wrath and pain and sorrow sickness.

18 Behold therefore the good which I have seen: that good is to eat and to drink and to enjoy of the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which God gives him; for it [is] his portion.

19 Likewise, unto every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, he has also given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour; this [is] the gift of God.

20 To such a one, God will remove the concerns common [to others], for God shall answer [him] with joy from his heart.: