 |  | Ecclesiastes 5 |  |  |
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Your Attitude Toward God | ||||
 NASB | KJV | GWT | WEB | DBY |
| 1 Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. | 1 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. | 1 Watch your step when you go to the house of God. It is better to go there and listen than to bring the sacrifices fools bring. Fools are unaware that they are doing [something] evil. | 1 Guard your steps when you go to God's house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don't know that they do evil. | 1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. | 2 Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few. | 2 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. | 2 Don't be in a hurry to talk. Don't be eager to speak in the presence of God. Since God is in heaven and you are on earth, limit the number of your words. | 2 Don't be rash with your mouth, and don't let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few. | 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few. | 3 For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words. | 3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words. | 3 Daydreaming comes when there are too many worries. Careless speaking comes when there are too many words. | 3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool's speech with a multitude of words. | 3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business, and a fool's voice through a multitude of words. | 4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! | 4 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. | 4 When you make a promise to God, don't be slow to keep it because God doesn't like fools. Keep your promise. | 4 When you vow a vow to God, don't defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow. | 4 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 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. | 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. | 5 It is better not to make a promise than to make one and not keep it. | 5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay. | 5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. | NASB | KJV | GWT | WEB | DBY |
| 6 Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? | 6 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? | 6 Don't let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don't say in the presence of a [temple] messenger, "My promise was a mistake!" Why should God become angry at your excuse and destroy what you've accomplished? | 6 Don't allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don't protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? | 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? | 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God. | 7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God. | 7 In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear God. | 7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God. | 7 For in the multitude of dreams are vanities; so with many words: but fear God. | 8 If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. | 8 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. | 8 Don't be surprised if you see poor people being oppressed, denied justice, or denied their rights in any district. One authority is watching over another, and they both have authorities watching over them. | 8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don't marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them. | 8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter; for a higher than the high is watching, and there are higher than they. | 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. | 9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field. | 9 Yet, a king is an advantage for a country with cultivated fields. | 9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field. | 9 Moreover the earth is every way profitable: the king himself is dependent upon the field. | The Folly of Riches |
| 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. | 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. | 10 Whoever loves money will never be satisfied with money. Whoever loves wealth will never be satisfied with more income. Even this is pointless. | 10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity. | 10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity. | NASB | KJV | GWT | WEB | DBY |
| 11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? | 11 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? | 11 As the number of goods increase, so do the number of people who consume them. What do owners gain [from all their goods] except [the opportunity] to look at them? | 11 When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes? | 11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what profit is there to the owner thereof, except the beholding of them with his eyes? | 12 The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. | 12 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. | 12 The sleep of working people is sweet, whether they eat a little or a lot. But the full stomachs that rich people have will not allow them to sleep. | 12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep. | 12 The sleep of the labourer is sweet, whether he have eaten little or much; but the fulness of the rich doth not suffer him to sleep. | 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. | 13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. | 13 There is a painful tragedy that I have seen under the sun: Riches lead to the downfall of those who hoard them. | 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm. | 13 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt; | 14 When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. | 14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand. | 14 These hoarded riches were then lost in bad business deals. The owners had children, but now they have nothing to give them. | 14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand. | 14 or those riches perish by some evil circumstance, and if he have begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. | 15 As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. | 15 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. | 15 They came from their mother's womb naked. They will leave as naked as they came. They won't even be able to take a handful of their earnings with them from all their hard work. | 15 As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. | 15 As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go away again as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. | NASB | KJV | GWT | WEB | DBY |
| 16 This also is a grievous evil-- exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind? | 16 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? | 16 This also is a painful tragedy: They leave exactly as they came. What advantage do they gain from working so hard for the wind? | 16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind? | 16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came so doth he go away, and what profit hath he, in having laboured for the wind? | 17 Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger. | 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness. | 17 They spend their entire lives in darkness, in constant frustration, sickness, and resentment. | 17 All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath. | 17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and hath much vexation, and sickness, and irritation. | 18 Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward. | 18 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. | 18 At last I have seen what is good and beautiful: It is to eat and drink and to enjoy the good in all our hard work under the sun during the brief lives God gives us. That is our lot [in life]. | 18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. | 18 Behold what I have seen good and comely: it is to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labour wherewith man laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for that is his portion. | 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. | 19 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. | 19 It is a gift from God when God gives some people wealth and possessions, the power to enjoy them, [the ability] to accept their lot in life, and [the ability] to rejoice in their own hard work. | 19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor--this is the gift of God. | 19 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and power to eat thereof, and to take his portion and to rejoice in his labour: that is a gift of God. | 20 For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart. | 20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart. | 20 These people won't give much thought to their brief lives because God keeps them occupied with the joy in their hearts. | 20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart. | 20 For he will not much remember the days of his life, because God answereth him with the joy of his heart. |
<< Ecclesiastes 5 >> New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. GOD'S WORD is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. The World English Bible is a 1997 revision of the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible, first published in 1901. It is in the Public Domain. Please feel free to copy and distribute it freely. Thank you to Michael Paul Johnson for making this work available. For the latest information, to report corrections, or for other correspondence, visit www.ebible.org. | ||||