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Ecclesiastes 5
Expanded Bible
Ecclesiastes 5
Expanded Bible
Be Careful About Making Promises
5 ·Be careful [Watch your step/L feet] when you go to worship at the ·Temple [L house of God]. It is better to listen than to offer ·foolish sacrifices [or the sacrifice of fools] without even knowing you are doing wrong.
2 ·Think before you speak [L Do not be quick with your mouth],
and ·be careful about what you say [L do not let your heart rush to utter a word] to God.
God is in heaven,
and you are on the earth,
so ·say only a few words to God [L let your words be few].
3 Dreams come from too much ·worrying [or work],
and too many words come from foolish people.
4 If you make a ·promise [vow] to God, don’t ·be slow to keep [delay to fulfill] it. ·God is not happy [L For there is no pleasure] with fools, so ·give God what you promised [L fulfill what you have vowed]. 5 It is better not to ·promise anything than to promise something and not do it [make a vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it; Deut. 23:21; Prov. 20:25; Matt. 23:16–22]. 6 Don’t let your ·words [L mouth] cause ·you [L your flesh] to sin, and don’t say to the ·priest at the Temple [L messenger], “·I didn’t mean what I promised [L It was a mistake].” ·If you do, God will [L Why should God…?] become angry with your words and will destroy ·everything you have worked for [L the work of your hands]. 7 Many useless [1:2] ·promises [or words] are like so many dreams; they mean nothing. You should ·respect [or be afraid of; 5:7; 7:18; 8:12, 13] God.
Officers Cheat Each Other
8 In some places you will see poor people ·mistreated [oppressed]. Don’t be surprised when they are ·not treated fairly [deprived/L robbed of justice] or ·given their rights [righteousness]. One ·officer [official; L higher-up] ·is cheated by [or watches out for] a higher ·officer [official] ·who in turn is cheated by even higher officers [L and there are officials/higher-ups over them]. 9 The ·wealth of the country [profit of the land] is ·divided up among them [L taken by] all. Even the king ·makes sure he gets his share of the profits [L benefits from the field].
Wealth Cannot Buy Happiness
10 Whoever loves money
will never have enough money;
Whoever loves ·wealth [riches]
will not be satisfied with ·it [gain].
This is also useless [1:2].
11 The more ·wealth [prosperity] people have,
the more friends they have to ·help spend [consume] it.
So what do people really ·gain [profit]?
They ·gain [profit] nothing except to ·look at their riches [admire it].
12 ·Those who work hard sleep in peace [L Sweet is the sleep of the laborer];
it is not important if they eat little or much.
But ·rich people worry about their wealth
and cannot [L the abundance of the wealthy does not let them] sleep.
13 ·I have seen real misery here [L There is a sickening evil I have seen] ·on earth [L under the sun; 1:3]:
·Money [Wealth] ·saved is a curse to [is hoarded to the harm of] its owners.
14 They lose ·it all [L that wealth] in a ·bad deal [evil/bad situation]
and have nothing to give to their children.
15 People come ·into this world [L from the womb of their mother] ·with nothing [naked],
and when they ·die [return] they leave with nothing.
In spite of all their hard ·work [toil],
they leave just as they came.
16 This, too, is ·real misery [a sickening evil]:
They leave just as they came.
So what do they ·gain [profit] from chasing the wind?
17 ·All they get are days full of sadness and sorrow [L They eat all their days in darkness],
and they end up sick, defeated, and ·angry [frustrated].
Enjoy Your Life’s Work
18 I have ·seen [observed] what is ·best [good] for people ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3]. ·They [L It is fitting/appropriate that they] should eat and drink and enjoy their ·work [toil], because ·the life God has given them on earth is short [L that is their reward during the few days God has given to this person under the sun; 1:3]. 19 God gives some people the ability to enjoy the wealth and ·property [possessions] he gives them, as well as the ability to accept their ·state in life [reward] and ·enjoy [take pleasure in] their work. 20 They do not ·worry about how short life is [L remember much about the days of their life], because God keeps them busy with ·what they love to do [L the pleasure of their heart; 2:24–26; 3:12–14, 22; 8:15; 9:7–10; C the little pleasures are distractions from the meaningless world].
Ecclesiastes 5
New International Version
Ecclesiastes 5
New International Version
Fulfill Your Vow to God
5 [a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.(A)
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.(B)
3 A dream(C) comes when there are many cares,
and many words mark the speech of a fool.(D)
4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.(E) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.(F) 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.(G) 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.(H)
Riches Are Meaningless
8 If you see the poor oppressed(I) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. 9 The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.
11 As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.(J)
13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:(K)
wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
and as everyone comes, so they depart.(L)
They take nothing from their toil(M)
that they can carry in their hands.(N)
16 This too is a grievous evil:
As everyone comes, so they depart,
and what do they gain,
since they toil for the wind?(O)
17 All their days they eat in darkness,
with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink(P) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor(Q) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19 Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,(R) and the ability to enjoy them,(S) to accept their lot(T) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.(U) 20 They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.(V)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.
Ecclesiastes 5
English Standard Version
Ecclesiastes 5
English Standard Version
Fear God
5 [a] (A)Guard your steps when you go to (B)the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to (C)offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 [b] Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore (D)let your words be few. 3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with (E)many words.
4 When (F)you vow a vow to God, (G)do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. (H)Pay what you vow. 5 (I)It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Let not your mouth lead you[c] into sin, and do not say before (J)the messenger[d] that it was (K)a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity;[e] but[f] (L)God is the one you must fear.
The Vanity of Wealth and Honor
8 (M)If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, (N)do not be amazed at the matter, (O)for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. 9 But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields.[g]
10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. 11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? 12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 (P)There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, 14 and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. 15 (Q)As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what (R)gain is there to him who (S)toils for the wind? 17 Moreover, all his days he (T)eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger.
18 Behold, what I have seen to be (U)good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment[h] in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his (V)lot. 19 Everyone also to whom (W)God has given (X)wealth and possessions (Y)and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is (Z)the gift of God. 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 5:1 Ch 4:17 in Hebrew
- Ecclesiastes 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Hebrew
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Hebrew your flesh
- Ecclesiastes 5:6 Or angel
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 The Hebrew term hebel can refer to a “vapor” or “mere breath”; also verse 10 (see note on 1:2)
- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Or For when dreams and vanities increase, words also grow many; but
- Ecclesiastes 5:9 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain
- Ecclesiastes 5:18 Or and see good
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.