| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. | 1Be careful what you do when you go to the temple of God; draw near to listen rather than to offer a sacrifice like fools, for they do not realize that they are doing wrong. |
| 2Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. | 2Do not be rash with your mouth or hasty in your heart to bring up a matter before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth! Therefore, let your words be few. |
| 3For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. | 3Just as dreams come when there are many cares, so the rash vow of a fool occurs when there are many words. |
| 4When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. | 4When you make a vow to God, do not delay in paying it. For God takes no pleasure in fools: Pay what you vow! |
| 5It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. | 5It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it. |
| 6Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? | 6Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, "It was a mistake!" Why make God angry at you so that he would destroy the work of your hands?" |
| 7For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear. | 7Just as there is futility in many dreams, so also in many words. Therefore, fear God! |
| 8If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them. | 8If you see the extortion of the poor, or the perversion of justice and fairness in the government, do not be astonished by the matter. For the high official is watched by a higher official, and there are higher ones over them! |
| 9But this is gain for a land in every way: a king committed to cultivated fields. | 9The produce of the land is seized by all of them, even the king is served by the fields. |
| 10He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. | 10The one who loves money will never be satisfied with money, he who loves wealth will never be satisfied with his income. This also is futile. |
| 11When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? | 11When someone's prosperity increases, those who consume it also increase; so what does its owner gain, except that he gets to see it with his eyes? |
| 12Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep. | 12The sleep of the laborer is pleasant--whether he eats little or much--but the wealth of the rich will not allow him to sleep. |
| 13There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owner to his hurt, | 13Here is a misfortune on earth that I have seen: Wealth hoarded by its owner to his own misery. |
| 14and those riches were lost in a bad venture. And he is father of a son, but he has nothing in his hand. | 14Then that wealth was lost through bad luck; although he fathered a son, he has nothing left to give him. |
| 15As he came from his mother’s womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. | 15Just as he came forth from his mother\'s womb, naked will he return as he came, and he will take nothing in his hand that he may carry away from his toil. |
| 16This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go, and what gain is there to him who toils for the wind? | 16This is another misfortune: Just as he came, so will he go. What did he gain from toiling for the wind? |
| 17Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness in much vexation and sickness and anger. | 17Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger. |
| 18Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. | 18I have seen personally what is the only beneficial and appropriate course of action for people: to eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all their hard work on earth during the few days of their life which God has given them, for this is their reward. |
| 19Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. | 19To every man whom God has given wealth, and possessions, he has also given him the ability to eat from them, to receive his reward and to find enjoyment in his toil; these things are the gift of God. |
| 20For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart. | 20For he does not think much about the fleeting days of his life because God keeps him preoccupied with the joy he derives from his activity. |
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