Approaching God with reverence
1
Keep your feet when you go to a house of God, and draw near to hear rather than to give of fools the sacrifice, for they do not know they do evil.
2
Do not cause your mouth to hurry, and do not let your heart hurry to bring out a word before God, for God is in the heavens, and you on the earth, therefore let your words be few.
3
For the dream has come by abundance of business, and the voice of a fool by abundance of words.
4
When you vow a vow to God, do not delay to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which you vow—complete.
5
Better that you do not vow, than that you vow and do not complete.
6
Do not permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?
7
For in the abundance of dreams both vanities and words abound; but fear God.
The futility of wealth
(Psalm 49:1-20)
8
If oppression of the poor, and violent taking away of judgment and righteousness you see in a province, do not marvel at the matter, for a higher than the high is observing, and high ones [are] over them.
9
And the abundance of a land is for all. A king for a field is served.
10
Whoever is loving silver is not satisfied [with] silver, nor he who is in love with stores [with] increase. Even this [is] vanity.
11
In the multiplying of good have its consumers been multiplied, and what benefit [is] to its possessor except the sight of his eyes?
12
Sweet [is] the sleep of the laborer whether he eat little or much; and the sufficiency of the wealthy is not permitting him to sleep.
13
There is a painful evil I have seen under the sun: wealth kept for its possessor, for his evil.
14
And that wealth has been lost in an evil business, and he has begotten a son and there is nothing in his hand!
15
As he came out from the belly of his mother, naked he turns back to go as he came, and he does not take away anything of his labor, that goes in his hand.
16
And this also [is] a painful evil, just as he came, so he goes, and what advantage [is] to him who labors for wind?
17
He also consumes all his days in darkness, and sadness, and wrath, and sickness abound.
18
Behold, that which I have seen: [It is] good, because beautiful, to eat, and to drink, and to see good in all one’s labor that he labors at under the sun, the number of the days of his life that God has given to him, for it [is] his portion.
19
Every man also to whom God has given wealth and riches, and has given him power to eat of it, and to accept his portion, and to rejoice in his labor, this is a gift of God.
20
For he does not much remember the days of his life, for God is answering through the joy of his heart.
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