1 aGuard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the bsacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2 Do not be ahasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your bwords be few. 3 For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a afool through many words. 4 When you amake a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. bPay what you vow! 5 It is abetter that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a amistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, afear God. 8 If you see aoppression of the poor and bdenial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be cshocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land. 10 aHe who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity. 11 aWhen good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on? 12 The sleep of the working man is apleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep. 13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: ariches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. 15 aAs he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came. He will btake nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil--exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So awhat is the advantage to him who btoils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life ahe also eats in darkness with bgreat vexation, sickness and anger. 18 Here is what I have seen to be agood and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his breward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom aGod has given riches and wealth, He has also bempowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the cgift of God. 20 For he will not often consider the years of his life, because aGod keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.