| King James Bible | International Standard Version |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 3For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. | 3Too many worries lead to nightmares, and a fool is known from talking too much. |
| 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. | 4When you make a promise to God, don't fail to keep it, since he isn't pleased with fools. Keep what you promise— |
| 5Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. | 5it's better that you don't promise than that you do promise and not follow through. |
| 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? | 6Never 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? |
| 7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. | 7In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, it is more important to fear God. |
| 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. | 8Don'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. |
| 9Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. | 9Also, the increase of the land belongs to everyone; the king himself is served by his field. |
| 10He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. | 10Whoever loves money will never have enough money. Whoever loves luxury will not be content with abundance. This also is pointless. |
| 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? | 11When possessions increase, so does the number of consumers; therefore what good are they to their owners, except to look at them? |
| 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. | 12Sweet 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. |
| 13There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. | 13I have observed a painful tragedy on earth: Wealth hoarded by its owner harms him, |
| 14But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. | 14and that wealth is lost in troubled circumstances. Then a son is born, but there is nothing left for him. |
| 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. | 15Just 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. |
| 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? | 16This is also a painful tragedy: However a person comes, he also departs; so what does he gain as he labors after the wind? |
| 17All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. | 17Furthermore, all his days he lives in darkness with great sorrow, anger, and affliction. |
| 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. | 18Look! 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. |
| 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. | 19Furthermore, 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. |
| 20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. | 20For he will not brood much over the days of his life, since God will keep him occupied with the joys of his heart. |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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