Ecclesiastes 5 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Fear God

1 [fn]Guard ^H8104 your steps ^H7272 as you go ^H1980 to the house ^H1004 of God ^H430 and draw ^H7126 near ^H7126 to listen ^H8085 rather ^H4480 than ^H4480 to offer ^H5414 the sacrifice ^H2077 of fools ^H3684; for they do not know ^H3045 they are doing ^H6213 evil ^H7451.

2 [fn]Do not be ^H926 hasty ^H926 with your mouth ^H6310 or [fn]impulsive ^H4116 in your heart ^H3820 to bring ^H3318 up ^H3318 a matter ^H1697 in the presence ^H6440 of God ^H430. For God ^H430 is in heaven ^H8064 but you are on the earth ^H776; therefore ^H5921 H3651 let your words ^H1697 be few ^H4592. 3 For the dream ^H2472 comes ^H935 through abundant ^H7230 endeavor ^H6045 and the voice ^H6963 of a fool ^H3684 through abundant ^H7230 words ^H1697.

4 When ^H834 you make ^H5087 a vow ^H5088 to God ^H430, do not be late ^H309 in paying ^H7999 it; for He takes no ^H369 delight ^H2656 in fools ^H3684. Pay ^H7999 what ^H834 you vow ^H5087! 5 It is better ^H2896 that you should not vow ^H5087 than ^H4480 that you should vow ^H5087 and not pay ^H7999. 6 Do not allow ^H5414 your mouth ^H6310 to cause your flesh ^H1320 to sin ^H2398, and do not say ^H559 in the presence ^H6440 of the messenger ^H4397 of God that it was a mistake ^H7684. Why ^H4100 should God ^H430 be ^H7107 angry ^H7107 on ^H5921 account ^H5921 of ^H5921 your voice ^H6963 and wreak ^H2254 destruction ^H2254 on the work ^H4639 of your hands ^H3027? 7 For in many ^H7230 dreams ^H2472 and vanities ^H1892 are ^H7235 many ^H7235 words ^H1697. Rather ^H3588, [fn]fear ^H3372 God ^H430.

The Vanity of Riches

8 If ^H518 you see ^H7200 oppression ^H6233 of the poor ^H7326 and robbery ^H1498 of justice ^H4941 and righteousness ^H6664 in the province ^H4082, do not be ^H8539 astonished ^H8539 over the [fn]matter ^H2656; for a lofty ^H1364 one keeps ^H8104 watch ^H8104 over ^H4480 H5921 another lofty ^H1364 one, and there are loftier ^H1364 ones ^H1364 over ^H5921 them.

9 But ^H3605 the advantage ^H3504 of the land ^H776 in everything is this—a king ^H4428 committed to a cultivated ^H5647 field ^H7704.

10 He who loves ^H157 money ^H3701 will not be ^H7646 satisfied ^H7646 with money ^H3701, nor ^H3808 he who ^H4310 loves ^H157 abundance ^H1995 with its produce ^H8393. This ^H2088 too ^H1571 is [fn]vanity ^H1892. 11 When good ^H2896 things ^H2896 increase ^H7235, those who consume ^H398 them increase ^H7231. So what ^H4100 is the success ^H3788 to their masters ^H1167 except ^H3588 H518 to look ^H7212 on with their eyes ^H5869? 12 The sleep ^H8142 of the laboring ^H5647 man is sweet ^H4966, whether ^H518 he eats ^H398 little ^H4592 or much ^H7235; but the satisfaction ^H7647 of the rich ^H6223 man ^H6223 does not [fn]allow ^H5117 him to sleep ^H3462.

13 There ^H3426 is ^H3426 a sickening ^H2470 evil ^H7451 which I have seen ^H7200 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121: riches ^H6239 being [fn]hoarded ^H8104 by their master ^H1167 to his own evil ^H7451 demise. 14 And those ^H1931 riches ^H6239 were lost ^H6 through a bad ^H7451 endeavor ^H6045; and he became the father ^H3205 of a son ^H1121, but there ^H369 was ^H369 nothing ^H369 H3972 in his hand ^H3027 for him. 15 As he had come ^H3318 naked ^H6174 from his mother’s ^H517 womb ^H990, so will he return ^H7725 as he came ^H935. He will carry ^H5375 nothing ^H3972 H3808 from the fruit ^H5999 of ^H5999 his labor ^H5999 that he can bring ^H1980 in his hand ^H3027. 16 This ^H2090 also ^H1571 is a sickening ^H2470 evil ^H7451—exactly ^H5980 as a man came ^H935, so ^H3651 will he go ^H1980. So what ^H4100 is the advantage ^H3504 to him who ^H7945 labors ^H5998 for the wind ^H7307? 17 Also ^H1571, all ^H3605 his days ^H3117 he eats ^H398 in darkness ^H2822 with much ^H7235 vexation ^H3708, and his sickness ^H2483 and anger ^H7110.

18 Here ^H2009 is what ^H834 I have seen ^H7200 to be good ^H2896, which is [fn]beautiful ^H3303: to eat ^H398, to drink ^H8354, and to see ^H7200 good ^H2896 in all ^H3605 one’s labor ^H5999 in which ^H7945 he labors ^H5998 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121 during the few ^H4557 days ^H3117 of his life ^H2416 which ^H834 God ^H430 has given ^H5414 him; for this ^H1931 is his portion ^H2506. 19 Furthermore ^H1571, as for every ^H3605 man ^H120 to whom ^H834 God ^H430 has given ^H5414 riches ^H6239 and wealth ^H5233, He has also empowered ^H7980 him to eat ^H398 from them and to take ^H5375 up ^H5375 his portion ^H2506 and be glad ^H8055 in his labor ^H5999; this ^H2090 is the gift ^H4991 of God ^H430. 20 For he will not remember ^H2142 much ^H7235 the days ^H3117 of his life ^H2416 because ^H3588 God ^H430 allows ^H6031 [fn]him to occupy ^H6031 himself with the gladness ^H8057 of his heart ^H3820.