1 1Ch 4:17 in HebAEx 3:5; 30:18-20; Is 1:12Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the B1 Sam 15:22; Prov 15:8; 21:27sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2 1Ch 5:1 in HebDo not be AProv 20:25hasty 2Lit with your mouthin word or 3Lit hurry your heartimpulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your BProv 10:19; Matt 6:7words be few. 3 For the dream comes through much 1Lit taskeffort and the voice of a AJob 11:2; Prov 15:2; Eccl 10:14fool through many words.

4 When you ANum 30:2; Ps 50:14; 76:11make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. BPs 66:13, 14Pay what you vow! 5 It is AProv 20:25; Acts 5:4better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your 1Lit mouthspeech cause 2Lit your bodyyou to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ALev 4:2, 22; Num 15:25mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is 1Lit vanityemptiness. Rather, 2Or revereAEccl 3:14; 7:18; 8:12, 13; 12:13fear God.

8 If you see AEccl 4:1oppression of the poor and BEzek 18:18denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be C1 Pet 4:12shocked at the 1Lit delightsight; for one 2Lit high oneofficial watches over another 2Lit high oneofficial, and there are higher 3Lit onesofficials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

10 AEccl 1:8; 2:10, 11; 4:8He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is 1Or futilityvanity. 11 AEccl 2:9When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to 1Lit see with their eyeslook on? 12 The sleep of the working man is AProv 3:24pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the 1Lit satietyfull stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: AEccl 6:2riches being 1Lit guardedhoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through 1Lit an evil taska bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing 2Lit in his handto support him. 15 AJob 1:21As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will BPs 49:17; 1 Tim 6:7take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man 1Lit comesis born, thus will he 2Lit godie. So AEccl 1:3; 2:11; 3:9what is the advantage to him who BProv 11:29toils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life APs 127:2he also eats in darkness with BEccl 2:23great vexation, sickness and anger.

18 Here is what I have seen to be AEccl 2:24good and 1Lit beautifulfitting: to eat, to drink and 2Lit see goodenjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few 3Or daysyears of his life which God has given him; for this is his 4Or shareBEccl 2:10reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom A2 Chr 1:12; Eccl 6:2God has given riches and wealth, He has also BEccl 6:2empowered him to eat from them and to receive his 1Or sharereward and rejoice in his labor; this is the CEccl 3:13gift of God. 20 For he will not often 1Lit rememberconsider the 2Or daysyears of his life, because AEx 23:25God keeps 3So with Grhim occupied with the gladness of his heart.