5 Keep thy foot when thou goest
to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice
of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let
not thine 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 a dream cometh through the multitude
of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. 4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer
not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast
vowed. 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not
vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh
to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore
should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? 7 For in the multitude of dreams and
many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. 8 If thou seest the oppression of the
poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel
not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and
there be higher than they. 9 Moreover the profit of the earth is
for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 He that
loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance
with increase: this is also vanity. 11 When goods increase, they are increased
that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the
beholding of them with their eyes? 12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet,
whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer
him to sleep. 13 There is a sore evil which I have seen
under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. 14 But those riches perish by evil travail:
and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing 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 hath he that hath
laboured for the wind? 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness,
and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. 18 Behold that which I have seen: it is
good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all
his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which
God giveth him: for it is his portion. 19 Every man also to whom God hath given
riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take
his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. 20 For he shall not much remember the days
of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.