| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they do evil. | 1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. |
| 2Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few. | 2Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few. |
| 3For a dream comes through much activity, And a fool’s voice is known by his many words. | 3As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words. |
| 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— | 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow. |
| 5Better not to vow than to vow and not pay. | 5It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. |
| 6Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? | 6Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? |
| 7For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God. | 7For as many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God. |
| 8If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them. | 8If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astonished at the matter; for one official is watched by a superior, and others higher still are over them. |
| 9Moreover the profit of the land is for all; even the king is served from the field. | 9The produce of the earth is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields. |
| 10He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; Nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. | 10He who loves money is never satisfied by money, and he who loves wealth is never satisfied by income. This too is futile. |
| 11When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes? | 11When good things increase, so do those who consume them; what then is the profit to the owner, except to behold them with his eyes? |
| 12The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, Whether he eats little or much; But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep. | 12The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich man permits him no sleep. |
| 13There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt. | 13There is a grievous evil I have seen under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, |
| 14But those riches perish through misfortune; When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. | 14or wealth lost in a failed venture, so when that man has a son there is nothing to pass on. |
| 15As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, To go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand. | 15As a man came from his mother’s womb, so he will depart again, naked as he arrived. He takes nothing for his labor to carry in his hands. |
| 16And this also is a severe evil— Just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind? | 16This too is a grievous evil: Exactly as a man is born, so he will depart. What does he gain as he toils for the wind? |
| 17All his days he also eats in darkness, And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger. | 17Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness, with much sorrow, sickness, and anger. |
| 18Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. | 18Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in all the labor one does under the sun during the few days of life that God has given him—for this is his lot. |
| 19As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. | 19Furthermore, God has given riches and wealth to every man, and He has enabled him to enjoy them, to accept his lot, and to rejoice in his labor. This is a gift from God. |
| 20For he will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart. | 20For a man seldom considers the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart. |
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