Your Attitude toward God

5 ^[a](A)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and approach to listen rather than to offer the ^(B)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. ^2 [b]Do not be ^(C)quick with your mouth or ^[c]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 ^(D)words be few. ³ For the dream comes through much ^[d]effort, and the voice of a ^(E)fool through many words.

⁴ When you ^(F)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. ^(G)Pay what you vow! ⁵ It is ^(H)better that you not vow, than vow and not pay. ⁶ Do not let your ^[e]speech cause ^[f]you to sin, and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a ^(I)mistake. 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, ^[g](J)fear God.

⁸ If you see ^(K)oppression of the poor and ^(L)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be ^(M)shocked at the ^[h]sight; for one ^[i]official watches over another ^[j]official, and there are higher ^[k]officials over them. ⁹ After all, a king who cultivates the field is beneficial to the land.

The Foolishness of Riches

^10 (N)One who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor one who loves abundance with its income. This too is futility. ^11 (O)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to ^[l]look at them? ¹² The sleep of the laborer is ^(P)sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the ^[m]full stomach of the rich person does not allow him to sleep.

¹³ There is a sickening evil which I have seen under the sun: ^(Q)wealth being ^[n]hoarded 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 ^[o]to support him. ^15 (R)As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came. He will ^(S)take 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 ^[p]is born, so will he ^[q]die. ^(T)What then is the advantage for him who ^(U)labors for the wind? ¹⁷ All his life ^(V)he also eats in darkness with ^(W)great irritation, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸ Here is what I have seen to be ^(X)good and ^[r]fitting: to eat, to drink, and ^[s]enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he labors under the sun during the few ^[t]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his ^[u](Y)reward. ¹⁹ Furthermore, as for every person to whom ^(Z)God has given riches and wealth, He has also ^(AA)given him the opportunity to ^[v]enjoy them and to receive his ^[w]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the ^(AB)gift of God. ²⁰ For he will not often call to mind the ^[x]years of his life, because ^(AC)God keeps ^[y]him busy with the joy of his heart.