Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 5

DOUAI-RHEIMS	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 Speak not any thing rashly, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.	1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil.
2 Dreams follow many cares: and in many words shall be found folly.	2 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 upon earth; therefore let your words be few.
3 If thou hast vowed any thing to God, defer not to pay it: for an unfaithful and foolish promise displeaseth him: but whatsoever thou hast vowed, pay it.	3 For a dream comes with much business, and a fool's voice with many words.
4 And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.	4 When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow.
5 Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.	5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities, and words without number: but do thou fear God.	6 Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 If thou shalt see the oppressions of the poor, and violent judgments, and justice perverted in the province, wonder not at this matter: for he that is high hath another higher, and there are others still higher than these:	7 For when dreams increase, empty words grow many: but do you fear God.
8 Moreover there is the king that reigneth over all the land subject to him.	8 If you see in a province the poor oppressed and justice and right violently taken away, do not be amazed at the matter; for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.
9 A covetous man shall not be satisfied with money: and he that loveth riches shall reap no fruit from them: so this also is vanity.	9 But in all, a king is an advantage to a land with cultivated fields.
10 Where there are great riches, there are also many to eat them. And what doth it profit the owner, but that he seeth the riches with his eyes?	10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money; nor he who loves wealth, with gain: this also is vanity.
11 Sleep is sweet to a labouring man, whether he eat lttle or much: but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.	11 When goods increase, they increase who eat them; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his eyes?
12 There is also another grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun: riches kept to the hurt of the owner.	12 Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the surfeit of the rich will not let him sleep.
13 For they are lost with very great affliction: he hath begotten a son, who shall be in extremity of want.	13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt,
14 As he came forth naked from his mother's womb, so shall he return, and shall take nothing away with him of his labour.	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 A most deplorable evil: as he came, so shall he return. What then doth it profit him that he hath laboured for the wind?	15 As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 All the days of his life he eateth in darkness, and in many cares, and in misery, and sorrow.	16 This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go; and what gain has he that he toiled for the wind,
17 This therefore hath seemed good to me, that a man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, wherewith he hath laboured under the sun, all the days of his life, which God hath given him: and this is his portion.	17 and spent all his days in darkness and grief, in much vexation and sickness and resentment?
18 And every man to whom God hath given riches, and substance, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to enjoy his portion, and to rejoice of his labour: this is the gift of God.	18 Behold, what I have seen to be good and to be fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life which God has given him, for this is his lot.
19 For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because God entertaineth his heart with delight,	19 Every man also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and find enjoyment in his toil--this is 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.