Ecclesiastes 5

Fear God

1 Watch your step when you go to God’s house. Come near to listen, not to offer foolish sacrifices.

2 Do not be quick with your mouth or hasty with words before God. He is in heaven, you are on earth, so keep your words few.

3 Much activity brings dreams; too many words bring foolish talk.

4 When you make a vow to God, keep it, He does not take broken promises lightly.

5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay up.

6 Do not let your mouth cause sin or say before the messenger, “It was a mistake.” Why make God angry and wreck the work of your hands,

7 Many dreams and words mean nothing, so fear God.

The Vanity of Wealth and Greed

8 If you see the poor oppressed, do not be shocked. Every official’s watched by a higher-up, and there is always someone over them.

9 Even the king depends on the field for food.

10 Whoever loves money never satisfied; whoever loves wealth never has enough. That too meaningless.

11 The more stuff you have, the more people show up to eat it. What good’s that except to watch it disappear,

12 Hard workers sleep sweet, whether they eat little or much, but the rich cannot sleep because of their wealth.

13 I have seen a sad evil: people hoard wealth to their own hurt.

14 Then they lose it all in a bad investment, and their kids left with nothing.

15 Everyone leaves the world naked, just like they came, cannot take anything from all that labor.

16 This too a harsh truth: people work hard for wind; nothing to show for it.

17 They live in darkness, frustration, and sickness with anger.

The Joy of Contentment

18 Here is what I saw good: to eat, drink, and enjoy your work during your short life, this is your portion from God.

19 When God gives wealth and the power to enjoy it, that is a gift.

20 They barely think about life’s pain because God keeps their hearts glad.