1 Do not be hasty with your mouth, and do not let your heart rush to speak anything before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, let your words be few.

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 Dreams come from too much activity, and a fool’s voice is known by many words.

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 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you promise.

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

4 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.

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 Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell God’s messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your words and destroy the work of your hands?

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

6 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, fear God.

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 If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights being denied, do not be surprised at such matters. For one official is watched by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.

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

8 The benefit of the land is for everyone; even a king depends on the field being cultivated.

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 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.

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

10 As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?

He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.

11 The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but the abundance of the rich permits them no sleep.

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 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners.

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 Or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children, there is nothing left for them to inherit.

There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.

14 As everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, so they depart naked as they came. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.

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

15 This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain from all his labor for the wind?

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 Throughout his days, he eats in darkness, with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

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 Behold, what I have seen is good and fitting: to eat and drink and to enjoy the good of all one's labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him, for this is his reward.

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

18 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and enables them to enjoy it, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.

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 For they seldom reflect on the days of their life because God keeps them occupied with joy in their hearts.

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.