^1aGuard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the ^bsacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. 2 ¹Do not be ^aquick with your mouth or ²impulsive 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 ^bwords be few. 3 For the dream comes through much ¹effort, and the voice of a ^afool through many words.

4 When you ^amake a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ^bPay what you vow! 5 It is ^abetter that you not vow, than vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your ¹speech cause ²you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ^amistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice, and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is futility. Rather, ^1afear God.

8 If you see ^aoppression of the poor and ^bdenial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^cshocked at the ¹sight; for one ²official watches over another ³official, and there are higher ⁴officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.

10 ^aOne who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. 11 ^aWhen good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to ¹look at them? 12 The sleep of the laborer is ^asweet, whether he eats little or much; but the ¹full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.

13 There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ^awealth being ¹hoarded by its owner to his detriment. 14 When that wealth was lost through bad business and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing ¹to support him. 15 ^aAs he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will ^btake nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a sickening evil: exactly as a person ¹is born, so will he ²die. ^aWhat then is the advantage for him who ^blabors for the wind? 17 All his life ^ahe also eats in darkness with ^bgreat irritation, sickness, and anger.

18 Here is what I have seen to be ^agood and ¹fitting: to eat, to drink, and ²enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few ³years of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^4breward. 19 Furthermore, as for every person to whom ^aGod has given riches and wealth, He has also ^bgiven him the opportunity to ¹enjoy them and to receive his ²reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ^cgift of God. 20 For he will not often call to mind the ¹years of his life, because ^aGod keeps ²him busy with the joy of his heart.