1  Guard thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be ready to hearken: it is better than when fools give sacrifices; for they know not that they do evil.

Eccl4:17  Keep thy foot, whensoever thou goest to the house of God; and when thou art near to hear, let thy sacrifice be better than the gift of fools: for they know not that they are doing evil.

Eccl4:17  Guard your foot, when you step into the house of God, and draw near, so that you may listen. For obedience is much better than the sacrifices of the foolish, who do not know the evil that they are doing.

2  Be not rash with thy mouth, 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.

2  You should not speak anything rashly, nor should your heart be hasty to present a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth. For this reason, let your words be few.

3  For a dream cometh through a multitude of business; and a fool's voice through a multitude of words.

3  Dreams follow many worries, and in many words foolishness will be found.

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.

4  Whenever thou shalt vow a vow to God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay thou therefore whatsoever thou shalt have vowed.

4  If you have vowed anything to God, you should not delay to repay it. And whatever you have vowed, render it. But an unfaithful and foolish promise displeases him.

5  Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

5  And it is much better not to make a vow, than, after a vow, not to fulfill what was promised.

5  It is much better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.

6  Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt, neither say thou before the messenger, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

6  You should not use your mouth so as to cause your flesh to sin. And you should not say, in the sight of an Angel, “There is no Providence.” For God, being angry at your words, may scatter all the works of your hands.

6  Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say before God that it was an error, lest God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands.

7  For through the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but fear thou God.

7  Where there are many dreams, there are many vanities and innumerable words. Yet truly, you must fear God.

7  For in the multitude of dreams and vain things and many words is false worship; but you should worship God.

8  If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent perverting of justice and righteousness in the state, marvel not at the matter; for one higher than the high watcheth, and there are higher than they.

8  If you see false accusations against the indigent, and violent judgments, and subverted justice in the government, do not be surprised over this situation. For those in high places have others who are higher, and there are still others, more eminent, over these.

8  If you see the oppression of the poor and violent perversion of judgment and justice in a city, do not marvel at the matter; for he who is higher than the highest is watching; and he who is higher is over them.

9  But the profit of a land every way is a king that maketh himself servant to the field.

10  He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase; this also is vanity.

10  A greedy man will not be satisfied by money. And whoever loves wealth will reap no fruit from it. Therefore, this, too, is emptiness.

10  He who loves money shall not be satisfied with money; and he who loves wealth shall not retain it. This is also vanity.

11  When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, saving the beholding of them with his eyes?

11  In the multitude of good they are increased that eat it: and what virtue has the owner, but the right of beholding it with his eyes?

11  Where there are many riches, there will also be many to consume these things. And how does it benefit the one who possesses, except that he discerns the wealth with his own eyes?

12  Sweet is the sleep of a labouring man, whether he eat little or much; but the satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

12  The sleep of a servant is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but to one who is satiated with wealth, there is none that suffers him to sleep.

13  There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt;

13  There is even another most burdensome infirmity, which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept to the harm of the owner.

14  and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.

14  And that wealth shall perish in an evil trouble: and the man begets a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

14  For they are lost in a most grievous affliction. He has produced a son, who will be in the utmost destitution.

15  As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

15  Just as he went forth naked from his mother's womb, so shall he return, and he shall take nothing with him from his labors.

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 laboureth for the wind?

16  And this is also an evil infirmity: for as he came, so also shall he return: and what is his gain, for which he vainly labours?

16  It is an utterly miserable infirmity that, in the same manner as he has arrived, so shall he return. How then does it benefit him, since he has labored for the wind?

17  All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much vexation and sickness and wrath.

17  Yea, all his days are in darkness, and in mourning, and much sorrow, and infirmity, and wrath.

17  All the days of his life he consumes: in darkness, and with many worries, and in distress as well as sadness.

18  Behold that which I have seen: it is good, yea, it is comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy pleasure for all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him; for this is his portion.

18  Behold, I have seen good, that it is a fine thing for a man to eat and to drink, and to see good in all his labour in which he may labour under the sun, all the number of the days of his life which God has given to him: for it is his portion.

18  And so, this has seemed good to me: that a person should eat and drink, and should enjoy the fruits of his labor, in which he has toiled under the sun, for the number of the days of his life that God has given him. For this is his portion.

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 labour--this is the gift of God.

19  Yea, and as for every man to whom God has given wealth and possessions, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.

19  And this is a gift from God: that every man to whom God has given wealth and resources, and to whom he has granted the ability to consume these, may enjoy his portion, and may find joy in his labors.

20  For let him remember the days of his life that they are not many; for God answereth him in the joy of his heart.

20  For he shall not much remember the days of his life; for God troubles him in the mirth of his heart.

20  And then he will not fully remember the days of his life, because God occupies his heart with delights.