Ecclesiastes 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.

KJV_Strongs⁽ⁱ⁾

1 H8104 Keep [H8798] H7272 thy foot H3212 when thou goest [H8799] H1004 to the house H430 of God H7138 , and be more ready H8085 to hear [H8800] H5414 , than to give [H8800] H2077 the sacrifice H3684 of fools H3045 : for they consider [H8802] H6213 not that they do [H8800] H7451 evil.

2 H926 Be not rash [H8762] H6310 with thy mouth H3820 , and let not thine heart H4116 be hasty [H8762] H3318 to utter [H8687] H1697 any thing H6440 before H430 God H430 : for God H8064 is in heaven H776 , and thou upon earth H1697 : therefore let thy words H4592 be few.

3 H2472 For a dream H935 cometh [H8802] H7230 through the multitude H6045 of business H3684 ; and a fool's H6963 voice H7230 is known by multitude H1697 of words.

4 H5087 When thou vowest [H8799] H5088 a vow H430 unto God H309 , defer [H8762] H7999 not to pay [H8763] H2656 it; for he hath no pleasure H3684 in fools H7999 : pay [H8761] H5087 that which thou hast vowed [H8799] .

5 H2896 Better H5087 is it that thou shouldest not vow [H8799] H5087 , than that thou shouldest vow [H8799] H7999 and not pay [H8762] .

6 H5414 Suffer [H8799] H6310 not thy mouth H1320 to cause thy flesh H2398 to sin [H8687] H559 ; neither say [H8799] H6440 thou before H4397 the angel H7684 , that it was an error H430 : wherefore should God H7107 be angry [H8799] H6963 at thy voice H2254 , and destroy [H8765] H4639 the work H3027 of thine hands?

7 H7230 For in the multitude H2472 of dreams H7235 and many [H8687] H1697 words H1892 there are also divers vanities H3372 : but fear [H8798] H430 thou God.

8 H7200 If thou seest [H8799] H6233 the oppression H7326 of the poor [H8802] H1499 , and violent H4941 perverting of judgment H6664 and justice H4082 in a province H8539 , marvel [H8799] H2656 not at the matter H1364 : for he that is higher H1364 than the highest H8104 regardeth [H8802] H1364 ; and there be higher H5921 than they.

9 H3504 Moreover the profit H776 of the earth H4428 is for all: the king H5647 himself is served [H8738] H7704 by the field.

10 H157 He that loveth [H8802] H3701 silver H7646 shall not be satisfied [H8799] H3701 with silver H157 ; nor he that loveth [H8802] H1995 abundance H8393 with increase H1892 : this is also vanity.

11 H2896 When goods H7235 increase [H8800] H7231 , they are increased [H8804] H398 that eat [H8802] H3788 them: and what good H1167 is there to the owners H518 thereof, saving H7207 the beholding [H8675] H7212 [H8801] H5869 of them with their eyes?

12 H8142 The sleep H5647 of a labouring man [H8802] H4966 is sweet H398 , whether he eat [H8799] H4592 little H7235 or much [H8687] H7647 : but the abundance H6223 of the rich H3240 will not suffer [H8688] H3462 him to sleep [H8800] .

13 H3426 There is H2470 a sore [H8802] H7451 evil H7200 which I have seen [H8804] H8121 under the sun H6239 , namely, riches H8104 kept [H8803] H1167 for the owners H7451 thereof to their hurt.

14 H6239 But those riches H6 perish [H8804] H7451 by evil H6045 travail H3205 : and he begetteth [H8689] H1121 a son H3972 , and there is nothing H3027 in his hand.

15 H3318 As he came forth [H8804] H517 of his mother's H990 womb H6174 , naked H7725 shall he return [H8799] H3212 to go [H8800] H935 as he came [H8804] H5375 , and shall take [H8799] H3972 nothing H5999 of his labour H3212 , which he may carry away [H8686] H3027 in his hand.

16 H2090 And this H2470 also is a sore [H8802] H7451 evil H5980 , that in all points H935 as he came [H8804] H3212 , so shall he go [H8799] H3504 : and what profit H5998 hath he that hath laboured [H8799] H7307 for the wind?

17 H3117 All his days H398 also he eateth [H8799] H2822 in darkness H7235 , and he hath much [H8687] H3707 sorrow [H8804] H7110 and wrath H2483 with his sickness.

18 H7200 Behold that which I have seen [H8804] H2896 : it is good H3303 and comely H398 for one to eat [H8800] H8354 and to drink [H8800] H7200 , and to enjoy [H8800] H2896 the good H5999 of all his labour H5998 that he taketh [H8799] H8121 under the sun H4557 all H3117 the days H2416 of his life H430 , which God H5414 giveth [H8804] H2506 him: for it is his portion.

19 H120 Every man H430 also to whom God H5414 hath given [H8804] H6239 riches H5233 and wealth H7980 , and hath given him power [H8689] H398 to eat [H8800] H5375 thereof, and to take [H8800] H2506 his portion H8055 , and to rejoice [H8800] H5999 in his labour H2090 ; this H4991 is the gift H430 of God.

20 H7235 For he shall not much [H8687] H2142 remember [H8799] H3117 the days H2416 of his life H430 ; because God H6031 answereth [H8688] H8057 him in the joy H3820 of his heart.

ERV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. ² Be not rash with thy month, 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 with a multitude of business; and a fool’s voice with a 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 vowest. 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 [thus it cometh to pass] through the multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God. ⁸ If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high 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 also is vanity. ¹¹ When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding [of them] with his eyes? ¹² The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep. ¹³ There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt: ¹⁴ and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. ¹⁵ As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. ¹⁶ And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind? ¹⁷ All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed and hath sickness and wrath. ¹⁸ Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this 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.