Approaching God with Awe

1Watch thy feet when thou shalt go to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than give the sacrifice of the foolish, for they not knowing the doing of evil. 2Thou shalt not hasten with thy mouth, and thy heart shall not be quick to bring forth a word to the face of God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon the earth: for this thy words shall be few. 3For the dream came in the multitude of labor; and the voice of the foolish one in the multitude of words.

4When thou shalt vow a vow to God, thou shalt not delay to repay it; for there is no desire in the foolish: repay what thou shalt vow. 5Good that thou shalt not vow rather than thou shalt vow and not requite. 6Thou shalt not give thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; and thou shalt not say to the face of the messenger that it is an error: wherefore shall God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? 7For in the multitude of dreams, and vanities, and many words: but fear thou God.

The Futility of Wealth
(Psalm 49:1–20)

8If thou shalt see the oppression of the poor one, and the spoiling of judgment and justice in a province, thou shalt not wonder at the inclination: for the high one above the high one is watching, and the high ones over them. 9And the profit of the earth in all: it is the king being served to the field.

10He loving silver shall not be satisfied with silver; and whoever loved not the increase with the multitude. Also this is vanity. 11In the multitude of good they were multiplied eating it: and what the success to its possessors but seeing with his eyes? 12The sleep of the servant is sweet, if little, or if much he shall eat: and the satiety to the rich not permitting to him to sleep.

13There is an evil making sick I saw under the sun: riches watched to its owners for their evil. 14And those riches shall perish by evil labor: and he begetting a son, and not anything in his hand. 15According as he came forth from his mother's womb, naked he shall turn back to go as he came, and he shall not take away anything in his labor that shall go in his hand. 16And also this an evil making sick, wholly as he came so shall he go: and what to him he shall labor for the wind? 17Also all his days in darkness shall he eat, and much vexation and his sickness and his anger.

18Behold, what I saw: good, which is beautiful to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labor that he will labor under the sun the number of the days of his life, which God gave to him; for this his portion. 19Also every man which God gave to him wealth and riches, and permitted him to eat from it, and to lift up his portion, and to rejoice in his labor; this the gift of God himself. 20For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God humbles him in the gladness of his heart.