Ecc 5 | NASB1995 | STEP | Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools ; for they do not know they are doing evil .

Ecclesiastes 5

Your Attitude Toward God

1 ^{▼▼ Ch 4:17 in Heb
,} ^bGuard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the ^csacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2 ^{▼▼ Ch 5:1 in Heb}Do not be ^ehasty ^{▼▼ Lit with your mouth}in word or ^{▼▼ Lit hurry your heart}impulsive 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 ^hwords be few. 3 For the dream comes through much ^{▼▼ Lit task}effort and the voice of a ^jfool through many words.

4 When you ^kmake a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ^lPay what you vow! 5 It is ^mbetter that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your ^{▼▼ Lit mouth}speech cause ^{▼▼ Lit your body}you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ^pmistake. 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 ^{▼▼ Lit vanity}emptiness. Rather, ^{▼▼ Or revere
,} ^sfear God.

8 If you see ^toppression of the poor and ^udenial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^vshocked at the ^{▼▼ Lit delight}sight; for one ^{▼▼ Lit high one}official watches over another ^{▼▼ Lit high one}official, and there are higher ^{▼▼ Lit ones}officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

The Folly of Riches

10 ^aaHe who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is ^{▼▼ Or futility}vanity. 11 ^acWhen good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to ^{▼▼ Lit see with their eyes}look on? 12 The sleep of the working man is ^aepleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the ^{▼▼ Lit satiety}full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: ^agriches being ^{▼▼ Lit guarded}hoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through ^{▼▼ Lit an evil task}a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing ^{▼▼ Lit in his hand}to support him. 15 ^akAs he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will ^altake 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 ^{▼▼ Lit comes}is born, thus will he ^{▼▼ Lit go}die. So ^aowhat is the advantage to him who ^aptoils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life ^aq he also eats in darkness with ^argreat vexation, sickness and anger.

18 Here is what I have seen to be ^asgood and ^{▼▼ Lit beautiful}fitting: to eat, to drink and ^{▼▼ Lit see good}enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few ^{▼▼ Or days}years of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^{▼▼ Or share
,} ^axreward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom ^ayGod has given riches and wealth, He has also ^azempowered him to eat from them and to receive his ^{▼▼ Or share}reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ^bbgift of God. 20 For he will not often ^{▼▼ Lit remember}consider the ^{▼▼ Or days}years of his life, because ^beGod keeps ^{▼▼ So with Gr}him occupied with the gladness of his heart.