New King James Version

King James Bible

Fear God, Keep Your Vows

Walk 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.

1

Approaching God with Awe

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

Do 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.

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 comes through much activity,
And a fool’s voice is known by his many words.

3

For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.

4

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;
For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed —

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 not to vow than to vow and not pay.

5

Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

6

Do 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 [a]excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

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 is also vanity. But fear God.

7

For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

8

The Vanity of Gain and Honor

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent [b]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.

8

Wealth is Meaningless

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 land is for all; even the king is served from the field.

9

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.

10

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver;
Nor he who loves abundance, with increase.
This also is vanity.

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 increase who eat them;
So what profit have the owners
Except to see them with their eyes?

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 laboring man is sweet,
Whether he eats little or much;
But the abundance of the rich will not permit him to sleep.

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 severe evil which I have seen under the sun:
Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.

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 through [c]misfortune;
When he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand.

14

But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

15

As 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.

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 severe evil —
Just exactly as he came, so shall he go.
And what profit has he who has labored for the wind?

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 he also eats in darkness,
And he has much sorrow and sickness and anger.

17

All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

18

Here 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 [d]heritage.

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

As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his [e]heritage and rejoice in his labor — this is the gift of God.

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 will not dwell unduly on the days of his life, because God keeps him busy with the joy of his heart.

20

For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

Parallel

New King James Version

King James Bible

Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes 5