Ecclesiastes 5 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible
World English Bible
Ecclesiastes 5 (WEBP)
[1] Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
[2] Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
[3] For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.
[4] When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
[5] It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
[6] Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
[7] For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.
[8] If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.
[9] Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
[10] He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.
[11] When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?
[12] The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
[13] There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
[14] Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
[15] As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
[16] This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?
[17] All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
[18] Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.
[19] Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.
[20] For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.
King James w/Strong’s #s
Ecclesiastes 5 (KJVS)
[1] Keep H8104 (8798) thy foot H7272 when thou goest H3212 (8799) to the house H1004 of God H430, and be more ready H7138 to hear H8085 (8800), than to give H5414 (8800) the sacrifice H2077 of fools H3684: for they consider H3045 (8802) not that they do H6213 (8800) evil H7451.
[2] Be not rash H926 (8762) with thy mouth H6310, and let not thine heart H3820 be hasty H4116 (8762) to utter H3318 (8687) [any] thing H1697 before H6440 God H430: for God H430 [is] in heaven H8064, and thou upon earth H776: therefore let thy words H1697 be few H4592.
[3] For a dream H2472 cometh H935 (8802) through the multitude H7230 of business H6045; and a fool’s H3684 voice H6963 [is known] by multitude H7230 of words H1697.
[4] When thou vowest H5087 (8799) a vow H5088 unto God H430, defer H309 (8762) not to pay H7999 (8763) it; for [he hath] no pleasure H2656 in fools H3684: pay H7999 (8761) that which thou hast vowed H5087 (8799).
[5] Better H2896 [is it] that thou shouldest not vow H5087 (8799), than that thou shouldest vow H5087 (8799) and not pay H7999 (8762).
[6] Suffer H5414 (8799) not thy mouth H6310 to cause thy flesh H1320 to sin H2398 (8687); neither say H559 (8799) thou before H6440 the angel H4397, that it [was] an error H7684: wherefore should God H430 be angry H7107 (8799) at thy voice H6963, and destroy H2254 (8765) the work H4639 of thine hands H3027?
[7] For in the multitude H7230 of dreams H2472 and many H7235 (8687) words H1697 [there are] also [divers] vanities H1892: but fear H3372 (8798) thou God H430.
[8] If thou seest H7200 (8799) the oppression H6233 of the poor H7326 (8802), and violent H1499 perverting of judgment H4941 and justice H6664 in a province H4082, marvel H8539 (8799) not at the matter H2656: for [he that is] higher H1364 than the highest H1364 regardeth H8104 (8802); and [there be] higher H1364 than they H5921.
[9] Moreover the profit H3504 of the earth H776 is for all: the king H4428 [himself] is served H5647 (8738) by the field H7704.
[10] He that loveth H157 (8802) silver H3701 shall not be satisfied H7646 (8799) with silver H3701; nor he that loveth H157 (8802) abundance H1995 with increase H8393: this [is] also vanity H1892.
[11] When goods H2896 increase H7235 (8800), they are increased H7231 (8804) that eat H398 (8802) them: and what good H3788 [is there] to the owners H1167 thereof, saving H518 the beholding H7207 (8675) H7212 (8801) [of them] with their eyes H5869?
[12] The sleep H8142 of a labouring man H5647 (8802) [is] sweet H4966, whether he eat H398 (8799) little H4592 or much H7235 (8687): but the abundance H7647 of the rich H6223 will not suffer H3240 (8688) him to sleep H3462 (8800).
[13] There is H3426 a sore H2470 (8802) evil H7451 [which] I have seen H7200 (8804) under the sun H8121, [namely], riches H6239 kept H8104 (8803) for the owners H1167 thereof to their hurt H7451.
[14] But those riches H6239 perish H6 (8804) by evil H7451 travail H6045: and he begetteth H3205 (8689) a son H1121, and [there is] nothing H3972 in his hand H3027.
[15] As he came forth H3318 (8804) of his mother’s H517 womb H990, naked H6174 shall he return H7725 (8799) to go H3212 (8800) as he came H935 (8804), and shall take H5375 (8799) nothing H3972 of his labour H5999, which he may carry away H3212 (8686) in his hand H3027.
[16] And this H2090 also [is] a sore H2470 (8802) evil H7451, [that] in all points H5980 as he came H935 (8804), so shall he go H3212 (8799): and what profit H3504 hath he that hath laboured H5998 (8799) for the wind H7307?
[17] All his days H3117 also he eateth H398 (8799) in darkness H2822, and [he hath] much H7235 (8687) sorrow H3707 (8804) and wrath H7110 with his sickness H2483.
[18] Behold [that] which I have seen H7200 (8804): [it is] good H2896 and comely H3303 [for one] to eat H398 (8800) and to drink H8354 (8800), and to enjoy H7200 (8800) the good H2896 of all his labour H5999 that he taketh H5998 (8799) under the sun H8121 all H4557 the days H3117 of his life H2416, which God H430 giveth H5414 (8804) him: for it [is] his portion H2506.
[19] Every man H120 also to whom God H430 hath given H5414 (8804) riches H6239 and wealth H5233, and hath given him power H7980 (8689) to eat H398 (8800) thereof, and to take H5375 (8800) his portion H2506, and to rejoice H8055 (8800) in his labour H5999; this H2090 [is] the gift H4991 of God H430.
[20] For he shall not much H7235 (8687) remember H2142 (8799) the days H3117 of his life H2416; because God H430 answereth H6031 (8688) [him] in the joy H8057 of his heart H3820.
Young’s Literal Translation
Ecclesiastes 5 (YLT)
[1] Keep thy feet when thou goest unto a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.
[2] Cause not thy mouth to hasten, and let not thy heart hasten to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and thou on the earth, therefore let thy words be few.
[3] For the dream hath come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
[4] When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest-complete.
[5] Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete.
[6] Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that ‘it is an error,’ why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?
[7] For, in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear thou God.
[8] If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness thou seest in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones are over them.
[9] And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
[10] Whoso is loving silver is not satisfied with silver, nor he who is in love with stores with increase. Even this is vanity.
[11] In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit is to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
[12] Sweet is the sleep of the labourer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not suffering him to sleep.
[13] There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
[14] And that wealth hath been lost in an evil business, and he hath begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
[15] As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turneth back to go as he came, and he taketh not away anything of his labour, that doth go in his hand.
[16] And this also is a painful evil, just as he came, so he goeth, and what advantage is to him who laboureth for wind?
[17] Also all his days in darkness he consumeth, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
[18] Lo, that which I have seen: It is good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labour that he laboureth at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God hath given to him, for it is his portion.
[19] Every man also to whom God hath given wealth and riches, and hath given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labour, this is a gift of God.
[20] For he doth not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.