| NET Bible | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong. | 1Guard 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. |
| 2Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few. | 2Do not be hasty in word or 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 words be few. |
| 3Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words. | 3For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. |
| 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! | 4When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! |
| 5It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it. | 5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. |
| 6Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, "It was a mistake!" Why make God angry at you so that he would destroy the work of your hands?" | 6Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? |
| 7Just as there is futility in many dreams, so also in many words. Therefore, fear God! | 7For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. |
| 8If you see the extortion of the poor, or the perversion of justice and fairness in the government, do not be astonished by the matter. For the high official is watched by a higher official, and there are higher ones over them! | 8If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. |
| 9The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields. | 9After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. |
| 10The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile. | 10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. |
| 11When someone's prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? | 11When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? |
| 12The sleep of the laborer is pleasant--whether he eats little or much--but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep. | 12The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. |
| 13Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery. | 13There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. |
| 14Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. | 14When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. |
| 15Just as he came forth from his mother\'s womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil. | 15As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. |
| 16This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind? | 16This also is a grievous evil-- exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? |
| 17Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger. | 17Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. |
| 18I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward. | 18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. |
| 19To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God. | 19Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. |
| 20For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity. | 20For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart. |
| NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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