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 () 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.
[2] Be 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.
[3] For a dream cometh () through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
[4] When thou vowest () a vow unto God, defer () not to pay () it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay () that which thou hast vowed. ()
[5] Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, () than that thou shouldest vow () and not pay. ()
[6] Suffer () 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?
[7] For in the multitude of dreams and many () words there are also divers vanities: but fear () thou God.
[8] If 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.
[9] Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served () by the field.
[10] He that loveth () silver shall not be satisfied () with silver; nor he that loveth () abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
[11] When 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?
[12] The 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. ()
[13] There is a sore () evil which I have seen () under the sun, namely, riches kept () for the owners thereof to their hurt.
[14] But those riches perish () by evil travail: and he begetteth () a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
[15] As 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.
[16] And 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?
[17] All his days also he eateth () in darkness, and he hath much () sorrow () and wrath with his sickness.
[18] Behold 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.
[19] Every 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.
[20] For he shall not much () remember () the days of his life; because God answereth () him in the joy of his heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 Or, word
Ecclesiastes 5:8 Heb. at the will or purpose
Ecclesiastes 5:18a Heb. there is a good which is comely, etc.
Ecclesiastes 5:18b Heb. the number of the days

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 5 (BYZ)

[1] Φύλαξον () πόδα () σου, () ἐν () ᾧ () ἐὰν () πορεύῃ () εἰς () οἶκον () τοῦ () θεοῦ, () καὶ () ἐγγὺς () τοῦ () ἀκούειν· () ὑπὲρ () δόμα () τῶν () ἀφρόνων () θυσία () σου, () ὅτι () οὔκ () εἰσιν () εἰδότες () τοῦ () ποιῆσαι () κακόν. ()
[2] Μὴ () σπεῦδε () ἐπὶ () στόματί () σου, () καὶ () καρδία () σου () μὴ () ταχυνάτω τοῦ () ἐξενέγκαι () λόγον () πρὸ () προσώπου () τοῦ () θεοῦ· () ὅτι () ὁ () θεὸς () ἐν () τῷ () οὐρανῷ, () καὶ () σὺ () ἐπὶ () τῆς () γῆς, () ἐπὶ () τούτῳ () ἔστωσαν () οἱ () λόγοι () σου () ὀλίγοι. ()
[3] Ὅτι () παραγίνεται () ἐνύπνιον () ἐν () πλήθει () περισπασμοῦ καὶ () φωνὴ () ἄφρονος () ἐν () πλήθει () λόγων. ()
[4] Καθὼς () ἂν () εὔξῃ () εὐχὴν () τῷ () θεῷ, () μὴ () χρονίσῃς () τοῦ () ἀποδοῦναι () αὐτήν· () ὅτι () οὐκ () ἔστιν () θέλημα () ἐν () ἄφροσιν, () σὺν () ὅσα () ἐὰν () εὔξῃ () ἀπόδος. ()
[5] Ἀγαθὸν () τὸ () μὴ () εὔξασθαί () σε () ἢ () τὸ () εὔξασθαί () σε () καὶ () μὴ () ἀποδοῦναι. ()
[6] Μὴ () δῷς () τὸ () στόμα () σου () τοῦ () ἐξαμαρτῆσαι τὴν () σάρκα () σου () καὶ () μὴ () εἴπῃς πρὸ () προσώπου () τοῦ () θεοῦ () ὅτι () Ἄγνοιά () ἐστιν, () ἵνα () μὴ () ὀργισθῇ () ὁ () θεὸς () ἐπὶ () φωνῇ () σου () καὶ () διαφθείρῃ () τὰ () ποιήματα () χειρῶν () σου. ()
[7] Ὅτι () ἐν () πλήθει () ἐνυπνίων () καὶ () ματαιότητες () καὶ () λόγοι () πολλοί· () ὅτι () σὺν () τὸν () θεὸν () φοβοῦ.
[8] Ἐὰν () συκοφαντίαν πένητος () καὶ () ἁρπαγὴν () κρίματος () καὶ () δικαιοσύνης () ἴδῃς () ἐν () χώρᾳ, () μὴ () θαυμάσῃς () ἐπὶ () τῷ () πράγματι· () ὅτι () ὑψηλὸς () ἐπάνω () ὑψηλοῦ () φυλάξαι () καὶ () ὑψηλοὶ () ἐπ’ () αὐτούς. ()
[9] Καὶ () περισσεία () γῆς () ἐν () παντί () ἐστι, () βασιλεὺς () τοῦ () ἀγροῦ () εἰργασμένου. ()
[10] Ἀγαπῶν () ἀργύριον () οὐ () πλησθήσεται ἀργυρίου· () καὶ () τίς () ἠγάπησεν () ἐν () πλήθει () αὐτῶν () γένημα; () Καί () γε () τοῦτο () ματαιότης. ()
[11] Ἐν () πλήθει () τῆς () ἀγαθωσύνης () ἐπληθύνθησαν () ἔσθοντες αὐτήν· () καὶ () τί () ἀνδρεία τῷ () παρ’ () αὐτῆς () ὅτι () ἀλλ’ () ἢ () τοῦ () ὁρᾶν ὀφθαλμοῖς () αὐτοῦ; ()
[12] Γλυκὺς () ὕπνος () τοῦ () δούλου, () εἰ () ὀλίγον () καὶ () εἰ () πολὺ () φάγεται· () καὶ () τῷ () ἐμπλησθέντι τοῦ () πλουτῆσαι () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἀφίων () αὐτὸν () τοῦ () ὑπνῶσαι.
[13] Ἔστιν () ἀρρωστία, ἣν () εἶδον () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον, () πλοῦτον () φυλασσόμενον () τῷ () παρ’ () αὐτοῦ () εἰς () κακίαν () αὐτοῦ, ()
[14] καὶ () ἀπολεῖται () ὁ () πλοῦτος () ἐκεῖνος () ἐν () περισπασμῷ πονηρῷ, () καὶ () ἐγέννησεν () υἱόν, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἐν () χειρὶ () αὐτοῦ () οὐδέν. ()
[15] Καθὼς () ἐξῆλθεν () ἀπὸ () γαστρὸς () μητρὸς () αὐτοῦ () γυμνός, () ἐπιστρέψει () τοῦ () πορευθῆναι () ὡς () ἥκει () καὶ () οὐδὲν () οὐ () λήμψεται () ἐν () μόχθῳ () αὐτοῦ, () ἵνα () πορευθῇ () ἐν () χειρὶ () αὐτοῦ. ()
[16] Καί () γε () τοῦτο () πονηρὰ () ἀρρωστία· ὥσπερ () γὰρ () παρεγένετο, () οὕτως () καὶ () ἀπελεύσεται, () καὶ () τίς () περισσεία () αὐτῷ, () ᾗ () μοχθεῖ εἰς () ἄνεμον; ()
[17] Καί () γε () πᾶσαι () αἱ () ἡμέραι () αὐτοῦ () ἐν () σκότει () καὶ () πένθει () καὶ () θυμῷ () πολλῷ () καὶ () ἀρρωστίᾳ καὶ () χόλῳ.
[18] Ἰδοὺ () ὃ () εἶδον () ἐγὼ () ἀγαθόν, () ὅ () ἐστιν () καλόν, () τοῦ () φαγεῖν () καὶ () τοῦ () πιεῖν () καὶ () τοῦ () ἰδεῖν () ἀγαθωσύνην () ἐν () παντὶ () μόχθῳ () αὐτοῦ, () ᾧ () ἐὰν () μοχθῇ ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον () ἀριθμὸν () ἡμερῶν () ζωῆς () αὐτοῦ, () ὧν () ἔδωκεν () αὐτῷ () ὁ () θεός· () ὅτι () αὐτὸ () μερὶς () αὐτοῦ. ()
[19] Καί () γε () πᾶς () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος, () ᾧ () ἔδωκεν () αὐτῷ () ὁ () θεὸς () πλοῦτον () καὶ () ὑπάρχοντα () καὶ () ἐξουσίασεν () αὐτὸν () τοῦ () φαγεῖν () ἀπ’ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () τοῦ () λαβεῖν () τὸ () μέρος () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () τοῦ () εὐφρανθῆναι () ἐν () μόχθῳ () αὐτοῦ, () τοῦτο () δόμα () θεοῦ () ἐστιν. ()
[20] Ὅτι () οὐ () πολλὰ () μνησθήσεται τὰς () ἡμέρας () τῆς () ζωῆς () αὐτοῦ· () ὅτι () ὁ () θεὸς () περισπᾷ () αὐτὸν () ἐν () εὐφροσύνῃ () καρδίας () αὐτοῦ. ()

Ecclesiastes 5:1 Originally verse 4:17.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 Originally verse 5:1.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 Originally verse 5:2.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 Originally verse 5:3.
Ecclesiastes 5:5 Originally verse 5:4.
Ecclesiastes 5:6 Originally verse 5:5.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 Originally verse 5:6.
Ecclesiastes 5:8 Originally verse 5:7.
Ecclesiastes 5:9 Originally verse 5:8.
Ecclesiastes 5:10 Originally verse 5:9.
Ecclesiastes 5:11 Originally verse 5:10.
Ecclesiastes 5:12 Originally verse 5:11.
Ecclesiastes 5:13 Originally verse 5:12.
Ecclesiastes 5:14 Originally verse 5:13.
Ecclesiastes 5:15 Originally verse 5:14.
Ecclesiastes 5:16 Originally verse 5:15.
Ecclesiastes 5:17 Originally verse 5:16.
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Originally verse 5:17.
Ecclesiastes 5:19 Originally verse 5:18.
Ecclesiastes 5:20 Originally verse 5:19.

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, Inc., Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.