Ecclesiastes 5

1Guard 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 understand that they are doing what is wrong. 2Do not be too quick to speak with your mouth, 3If you have too many things to do and worry about, you will probably have bad dreams. 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay to do it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Do what you vow you will do. 5It is better not to make a vow than to make one that you do not carry out. 6Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin. Do not say to the priest's messenger, “That vow was a mistake.” Why make God angry by vowing falsely, provoking God to destroy the work of your hands? 7For in many dreams, as in many words, there is meaningless vapor. So fear God. 8When you see the poor being oppressed and robbed of just and right treatment in your province, do not be astonished as if no one knows, because there are people in power who watch those under them, and there are even higher ones over them. 9In addition, the produce of the land is for everyone, and the king himself takes produce from the fields. 10Anyone who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, 11As prosperity increases, so also do the people who consume it. 12The sleep of a working man is sweet, 13There is an evil that I have seen under the sun: 14When the rich man loses his wealth through bad luck, 15As a man comes from his mother's womb, 16Another evil is 17During his days he eats with darkness 18Look, what I have seen to be good and suitable is to eat and drink and to enjoy the gain from all our work, as we labor under the sun during the days of this life that God has given us. For this is man's assignment. 19Anyone to whom God has given riches and wealth and the ability to receive his share and rejoice in his work—this is a gift from God.