Listen To God Rather Than Uttering Rash Vows
1 Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the [careless or irreverent] sacrifice of fools; for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil.(A)
1 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.
1 (a)(A)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the (B)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.
1 (a)Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Better to draw near in obedience than to offer the sacrifice as fools do,(A) for they ignorantly do wrong.
1 Watch your step whenever you visit God's house, and come more ready to listen than to offer a fool's sacrifice, since fools never think they're doing evil.
2 Do not be hasty with your mouth [speaking careless words or vows] or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.
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.
2 (b)Do not be (C)hasty (c)in word or (d)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 (D)words be few.
2 (b)Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.(B)
2 Don't be impulsive with your mouth nor be in a hurry to talk in God's presence. Since God is in heaven and you're on earth, keep your speech short.
4 When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow.(B)
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.
4 When you (F)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. (G)Pay what you vow!
4 When you make a vow to God,(D) don’t delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow.
4 When you make a promise to God, don't fail to keep it, since he isn't pleased with fools. Keep what you promise
6 Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands?(D)
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?
6 Do not let your (f)speech cause (g)you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a (I)mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
6 Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you,(F) and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake.(G) Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
6 Never let your mouth cause you to sin and don't proclaim in the presence of the angel, "My promise was a mistake," for why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy what you've undertaken?
7 For in a multitude of dreams and in a flood of words there is worthlessness. Rather [reverently] fear God [and worship Him with awe-filled respect, knowing who He is].
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
7 In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, it is more important to fear God.
Powerful Bureaucrats Exploit The Helpless Poor
8 If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another].
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.
8 If you see (K)oppression of the poor and (L)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be (M)shocked at the (j)sight; for one (k)official watches over another (l)official, and there are higher (m)officials over them.
8 If you see oppression of the poor(I) and perversion of justice and righteousness in the province, don’t be astonished at the situation,(J) because one official protects another official, and higher officials protect them.
8 Don't be surprised when you see the poor oppressed and the violent perverting both justice and verdicts in a province, for one high official watches another, and there are ones higher still over them.
9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.
9 Also, the increase of the land belongs to everyone; the king himself is served by his field.
There Is Never Enough Money To Satisfy
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its gain. This too is vanity (emptiness).
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
10 (N)He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is (n)vanity.
10 The one who loves money is never satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with income. This too is futile.
10 Whoever loves money will never have enough money. Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance. This also is pointless.
11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what advantage is there to their owners except to see them with their eyes?
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?
11 (O)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to (o)look on?
11 When good things increase, the ones who consume them multiply; what, then, is the profit to the owner, except to gaze at them with his eyes?
11 When possessions increase, so does the number of consumers; therefore what good are they to their owners, except to look at them?
12 The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach (greed) of the rich [who hungers for even more] will not let him sleep.
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.
12 The sleep of the working man is (P)pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the (p)full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
12 The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits him no sleep.
12 Sweet is the sleep of a working man, whether he eats a little or a lot, but the excess wealth of the rich will not allow him to rest.
Hoarding Wealth Can Backfire
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being kept and hoarded by their owner to his own misery.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: (Q)riches being (q)hoarded by their owner to his hurt.
13 I have observed a painful tragedy on earth: Wealth hoarded by its owner harms him,
14 For when those riches are lost in bad investments and he becomes the father of a son, then there is nothing in his hand [for the support of the child].
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
14 When those riches were lost through (r)a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing (s)to support him.
14 That wealth was lost in a bad venture, so when he fathered a son, he was empty-handed.
14 and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances. Then a son is born, but there is nothing left for him.
15 As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came; and he will take away nothing from all his labor that he can carry in his hand.(E)
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.
15 (R)As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will (S)take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.
15 As he came from his mother’s womb, so he will go again, naked as he came;(M) he will take nothing for his efforts that he can carry in his hands.
15 Just as he came naked from his mother's womb, he will leave as naked as he came; he will receive no profit from his efforts he cannot carry away even a handful.
16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as he was born, so he shall die. So what advantage has he who labors for the wind?(F)
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?
16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man (t)is born, thus will he (u)die. So (T)what is the advantage to him who (U)toils for the wind?
16 This too is a sickening tragedy: exactly as he comes, so he will go. What does the one gain(N) who struggles for the wind?(O)
16 This is also a painful tragedy: However a person comes, he also departs; so what does he gain as he labors after the wind?
17 All of his life he also eats in darkness [cheerlessly, without sweetness and light], with great frustration, sickness, and anger.
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
17 Furthermore, all his days he lives in darkness with great sorrow, anger, and affliction.
If You Have Wealth, Enjoy It As God Enables
18 Behold, here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] reward.(G)
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.
18 Here is what I have seen to be (X)good and (v)fitting: to eat, to drink and (w)enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few (x)years of his life which God has given him; for this is his (y)(Y)reward.
18 Here is what I have seen to be good:(Q) it is appropriate to eat, drink, and experience good in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of his life God has given him, because that is his reward.(R)
18 Look! I observed that it is good and prudent to eat, drink, and enjoy all that is good of a person's work that he does on earth during the limited days of his life, which God gives him, for this is his allotment.
19 Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, He has also given the power and ability to enjoy them and to receive [this as] his [allotted] portion and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God [to him].
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.
19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom (Z)God has given riches and wealth, He has also (AA)empowered him to eat from them and to receive his (z)reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the (AB)gift of God.
19 God has also given riches and wealth to every man,(S) and He has allowed him to enjoy them, take his reward, and rejoice in his labor.(T) This is a gift of God,(U)
19 Furthermore, for every person to whom God has given wealth, riches, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept this allotment, and to rejoice in his work this is a gift from God.
20 For he will not often consider the [troubled] days of his life, because God keeps him occupied and focused on the joy of his heart [and the tranquility of God indwells him].
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
20 For he will not often (aa)consider the (ab)years of his life, because (AC)God keeps (ac)him occupied with the gladness of his heart.
20 for he does not often consider the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
20 For he will not brood much over the days of his life, since God will keep him occupied with the joys of his heart.