5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.
5:1 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.

5:2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
5:2 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.

5:3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.
5:3 For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of a fool through many words.

5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
5:4 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!

5:5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
5:5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that is was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
5:6 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?

5:7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.
5:7 For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.

5:8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.
5:8 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.

5:9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king (himself) is served by the field.
5:9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
5:10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance [with its] income. This too is vanity.

5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding (of them) with his eyes?
5:11 When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?

5:12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
5:12 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.

5:13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, (namely), riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
5:13 There is a grievous evil [which] I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.

5:14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
5:14 When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.

5:15 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.
5:15 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.

5:16 And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?
5:16 And 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?

5:17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
5:17 Throughout his life [he] also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.

5:18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.
5:18 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.

5:19 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 labor-- this is the gift of God.
5:19 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.

5:20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth (him) in the joy of his heart.
5:20 For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.