(KJV) Ecclesiastes 5¹

⥃Approaching God with Awe

[1] Keep thy foot² when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready³ to hear, than to give⁴ the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. [2] Be not rash⁵ with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [any] thing⁶ befor⁷e God: for God [is] in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. [3] For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s⁸ voice [is known] by multitude of words. [4] When thou vowest⁹ a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for¹⁰ [he hath] no pleasure in fools: pay¹¹ that which thou hast vowed. [5] Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.¹² [6] Suffer not thy mouth¹³ to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before¹⁴ the angel, that it [was¹⁵] an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy¹⁶ the work of thine hands? [7] For in the¹⁷ multitude of dreams and many words [there are] also [divers] vanities: but¹⁸ fear thou God.

⥃The Futility of Wealth ^{[ Psalms 49:1–20 ]}

[8] [¶]If thou seest¹⁹ the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel²⁰ not at the matter²¹: for²² [he that is] higher than the highest regardeth²³; and [there be] higher than they²⁴.

[9] Moreover the profit²⁵ of the earth is for all: the king²⁶ [himself] is served by the field. [10] He that²⁷ loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this²⁸ [is] also vanity. [11] When goods increase, they²⁹ are increased that eat them: and what³⁰ good [is there] to the owners thereof, saving the beholding [of them] with their eyes? [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.³¹ [13] There is a sore³² evil [which] I have seen under the sun, [namely], riches³³ kept for the owners thereof to their hurt. [14] But those³⁴ riches perish by evil travail: and he³⁵ begetteth a son, and [there is] nothing in his hand. [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.³⁶ [16] And this also [is] a sore³⁷ evil, [that] in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what³⁸ profit hath he that hath laboured for³⁹ the wind? [17] All his days also he eateth⁴⁰ in darkness, and [he hath] much⁴¹ sorrow and wrath with his sickness.

[18] Behold [that] which I have seen: [it is] good and comely⁴² [for one] to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days⁴³ of his life, which God giveth him: for it [is] his⁴⁴ portion. [19] Every man also to whom⁴⁵ 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 [is⁴⁶] the gift of God. [20] For he shall not much remember⁴⁷ the days of his life; because⁴⁸ God answereth [him] in the joy of his heart.