Open English Translation ECC Chapter 5

5 Watch your step when you go to God’s house.

Going in to listen is better than fools who offer sacrifices,

because they don’t realise that what they’re doing there is evil.

2 Don’t speak out too quickly,

and don’t let your emotions rush to make you request something from God,

because God is in the heavens,

but you’re on the earth, so let your words be few.

3 A dream can lead to a lot of panic,

and a fool’s voice brings many words.

4 When you promise something to God,

don’t put off doing what you promised

because no one likes fools.

Whatever you promise, do it![ref]

5 It’s better not to make a promise

than to promise something and then not do it.

6 Don’t allow your mouth to cause your whole body to sin,

and don’t tell the temple messenger that it was an unintentional sin.

Why make God angry by what you say

and destroy the good things that you’ve done?

7 Yes, there’s many dreams and pointless things and many words—

just respect and strive to obey God.

8 If you see the extortion of the poor

and the perversion of justice and righteousness in the provinces,

don’t be amazed about it because a high official is watching over another official,

and higher ones are watching over them.

9 Land is an advantage for everyone—the king gets served from the countryside.

10 A person who loves money won’t be satisfied with it,

and whoever loves wealth won’t be satisfied with their income.

That’s also pointless.

11 When material goods increase, people’s consumption increases,

and what advantage does the owner get other than just feeding his eyes?

12 The labourer has a pleasant sleep, whether they’ve had a lot to eat or just a little,

^ but the many investments of the rich person don’t permit them to sleep.

13 There’s a sad contradiction that I’ve seen in this world:

wealth hoarded up by its owner, but working to destroy him.

14 Then that wealth was lost in a failed investment

and although he had a son, he had nothing left to live on.

15 He was naked when he was born and he’ll be naked when he goes again,

and despite all his hard work, he won’t be able to take any money with him.[ref]

16 This is also a sickening misfortune:

He will leave this world just like he entered it,

and what profit belongs to him who will work hard for the wind?

17 What’s more, all his life he’ll eat in darkness,

and in a lot of distress, as well as sickness and anger.

18 Listen, this is what I myself have discovered to be good:

It’s good for a person to eat and drink

and to see benefit in all the hard work that they’ll do in this world

during the number of the days of their life that God has given that person,

because that’s their allocation in life.

19 Also, each person who’s been given wealth and possessions by God and has been empowered

to eat from it

and to accept their allocation in life

and to enjoy their hard work:

that’s a gift from God.

20 Those people don’t retain a memory of each day that passed

because God keeps them full of internal happiness.