Ecclesiastes, the Preacher

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 5 -

Approaching God with reverence

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.

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

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.

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

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.(a)

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

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.

The futility of wealth

(Psalm 49:1-20)

But finally, there is the King who rules over the entire earth, which is subject to him.(b)

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

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?

Sleep is sweet to one who works, whether he consumes little or much. But the satiation of a wealthy man will not permit him to sleep.

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

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

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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

Footnotes

(a)5:5 Angels are the ministers of God’s Providence, and the Virgin Mary is Queen of God’s Providence and of His Angels.(Conte)

(b)5:8 The King who rules over the entire earth is God. During the time that this book was written, Solomon was not the only king; there was no one king over all the earth except God.(Conte)

Approaching God with reverence

Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.

Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.

It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.

Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words; but you must fear God.

The futility of wealth

(Psalm 49:1-20)

If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.

He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity.

When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.

There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.

Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.

As he came out of 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.

This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?

All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.

Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life, because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.