1When thou comest into the house of God, keep thy foot(Some read. For he is readier to hear (understand thy word) than to receive the sacrifices that fools give.) and draw nigh,(Some read: rather to hear, than to give, as fools offering sacrifice.) that thou mayest hear: that is better than the offerings of fools, for they know not what evil they do.
2Be not hasty with thy mouth, and let not thine heart speak anything rashly before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few.
3For where much carefulness is, there are many dreams: and where many words are, there men may hear fools.
4If thou make a vow unto God, be not slack to perform it. As for foolish vows, he hath no pleasure in them.
5If thou promise anything, pay it: for better it is that thou make no vow than that thou shouldest promise, and not pay.
6Use not thy mouth to cause thy flesh for to sin, that thou sayest not before the angel: my foolishness is in the fault. For then God will be angry at thy voice, and destroy all the works of thine hands.
7And why? Where as are many dreams and many words, there are also divers vanities: but look that thou fear God.
8If thou seest the poor to be oppressed and wrongously dealt withal, so that equity and the right of the law is wrasted in the land: marvel not thou at such judgement, for one great man keepeth touch with another, and the mighty help themselves together.
9The whole land also with the fields and all that is therein, is in subjection and bondage unto the king.
10He that loveth money, will never be satisfied with money: and whoso delighteth in riches, shall have no profit thereof. Is not this also a vain thing?
11Where as many riches are, there are many also that spend them away. And what pleasure more hath he that possesseth them, saving that he may look upon them with his eyes?
12A labouring man sleepeth sweetly, whether it be little or much that he eateth: but the aboundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13Yet is there a sore plague, which I have seen under the sun, (namely) riches kept to the hurt of him that hath them in possession.
14For oft times they perish with his great misery and trouble: and if he have a child it getteth nothing.
15Like as he came naked out of his mother's womb, so goeth he thither again, and carryeth nothing away with him of all his labour.
16This is a miserable plague, that he shall go away even as he came. What helpeth him then, that he hath labored in the wind?
17All the days of his life also must he eat in the dark, with great carefulness, sickness and sorrow.
18Therefore me think it a better and fairer thing, a man to eat and drink, and to be refreshed of all his labour, that he taketh under the Sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him, for this is his portion.
19For unto whom soever God giveth riches, goods and power, he giveth it him to enjoy it, to take it for his portion, and to be refreshed of his labour: this is now the gift of God.
20For he thinketh not much how long he shall live, for so much as God filleth his heart with gladness.