King James Version KJV
New International Version NIV
1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
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Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
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Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
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A dream comes when there are many cares, and many words mark the speech of a fool.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
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When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
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It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
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Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
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Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
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If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
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The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
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Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
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As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
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The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much, but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
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I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
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or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when they have children there is nothing left for them to inherit.
15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
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Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands.
16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
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This too is a grievous evil: As everyone comes, so they depart, and what do they gain, since they toil for the wind?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
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All their days they eat in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
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This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot.
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.
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Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
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They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.