| English Standard Version | King James Bible |
| 1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. | 1Keep 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. |
| 2Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. | 2Be 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. |
| 3For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. | 3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. |
| 4When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. | 4When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. |
| 5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. | 5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. |
| 6Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? | 6Suffer 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? |
| 7For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. | 7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. |
| 8If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. | 8If 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. |
| 9But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. | 9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. |
| 10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. | 10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. |
| 11When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? | 11When 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? |
| 12Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. | 12The 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. |
| 13There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, | 13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. |
| 14and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. | 14But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. |
| 15As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. | 15As 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. |
| 16This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? | 16And 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? |
| 17Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. | 17All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. |
| 18Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. | 18Behold 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. |
| 19Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. | 19Every 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. |
| 20For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. | 20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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