¹Guard your foot when you go to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the fools' sacrifice; for they do not know to do evil.

²Do not be hasty with your mouth, and let your heart not hurry to bring out a word before God; for God is in the heavens and you are on the land; therefore let your words be few.

³For the dream comes with a multitude of occupation, and the voice of a fool with a multitude of words.

⁴When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to repay it; for there is no delight in fools; repay what you vow.

⁵It is better that you do not vow than that you vow and do not repay.

⁶Do not set your mouth to make your flesh sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was an error; why will God be angry over your voice, and twist the work of your hands?

⁷For in a multitude of dreams and vapors and words, there is much; but fear God.

⁸If you see the oppression of a poor person and the robbery of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be astounded at the matter; for a high one watches over a high one, and there are higher ones over them.

⁹And the profit of a land is in everything; it is a king who is served by a field.

¹⁰One who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, and whoever loves abundance will have no income; this also is vapor.

¹¹When the good multiplies, those who consume it multiply; and what success is there for its owners, except the look of his eyes?

¹²Sweet is the sleep of the one who serves, whether little or much he eats; but the plenty of the rich does not settle him to sleep.

¹³There is a severe evil that I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his own evil.

¹⁴And that wealth was lost in an evil occupation; and he fathered a son, and there is nothing in his hand.

¹⁵Just as he came forth from the womb of his mother, naked he will return, going as he came; and nothing will he carry from his toil that could go in his hand.

¹⁶And also this is a severe evil: exactly as he came, so will he go; and what profit is there for him that he toils for the breath?

¹⁷Also all his days he will eat in the darkness; and he is vexed greatly, with his sickness and wrath.

¹⁸Behold what I have seen: it is good and beautiful to eat and to drink and to see good in all his toil that he toils under the sun, the number of the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.

¹⁹Also every person to whom God has given wealth and riches, and has given him power to eat from it, to take his portion, and to rejoice in his toil: this is a gift of God.

²⁰For he will not much remember the days of his life, because God afflicts him in the joy of his heart.