敬畏上帝
1你进入上帝的殿时要小心谨慎，近前倾听胜过愚人献祭，因为他们不知道自己是在作恶。 2在上帝面前不要冒失开口，不可急于发言，因为祂在天上，你在地上。所以，你要少言寡语。 3事务繁杂，夜里多梦；多言多语，显出愚昧。 4你向上帝许愿，不可迟迟不还，因为祂不喜欢这样的愚人。要还所许的愿。 5与其许了愿不还，倒不如不许。 6不要在言语上犯罪，也不要在祭司5:6 “祭司”希伯来文是“使者”。面前说许错了愿。为什么用言语惹上帝发怒，以致祂摧毁你手中的工作呢？ 7多梦多言都是虚空。你只要敬畏上帝！
财富虚空
8若你在某地看见穷人受欺压，公平正义被扭曲，不要震惊，因为官上有官，在众官之上还有更高的官。 9况且，地的出产滋养万物，就是君王也需要从田地得到供应。 10贪爱钱财的，金银不能使他满足；贪图富裕的，再多的利益也不能叫他称心。这也是虚空！ 11财富增加，消费的人也增加，这对财富的主人有什么益处呢？只是过眼烟云罢了！ 12劳力的人不管吃多吃少，总是睡得香甜；富人的万贯家财却害得他不能成眠。 13我看到日光之下有一件可悲的事：有人积攒财宝，反而害了自己。 14经营不善，便财富尽失，什么也不能留给儿子。 15人怎样从母腹空空而来，也必照样空空而去；劳碌一生，什么也不能带走。 16这是多么可悲啊！人怎样来，也要怎样去，为风劳碌有什么益处呢？ 17他一生活在黑暗中，饱受烦恼、病痛和愤怒的困扰。 18我认为人生最美最善的是，在上帝所赐的短暂岁月中尽情吃喝，享受自己在日光之下劳苦得来的成果。因为这是人当得的。 19上帝不单给人财富，也叫他能吃能喝，享用自己所当得的，并在劳碌中得到快乐，这都是上帝的恩赐。 20他不用担忧自己寿命的长短，因为上帝使他心里充满喜乐。
Keep Your Promise to God
1Be careful what you say when you go to God’s house. Go there to listen. Don’t be like foolish people when you offer your sacrifice. They do what is wrong and don’t even know it.
2Don’t be too quick to speak.
Don’t be in a hurry to say anything to God.
God is in heaven. You are on earth.
So use only a few words when you speak.
3Many worries result in dreams.
Many words result in foolish talk.
4When you make a promise to God, don’t wait too long to carry it out. He isn’t pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised. 5It is not good to make a promise and not keep it. It is better to make no promise at all. 6Don’t let your mouth cause you to sin. Don’t say to the temple messenger, “My promise was a mistake.” Why should God be angry with what you say? Why should he destroy what you have done? 7Dreaming too much and talking too much are meaningless. So have respect for God.
Riches Are Meaningless
8Suppose you see poor people being mistreated somewhere. And what is being done to them isn’t right or fair. Don’t be surprised by that. One official is watched by a higher one. Officials who are even higher are watching both of them. 9All of them take what the land produces. And the king himself takes his share from the fields.
10Anyone who loves money never has enough.
Anyone who loves wealth is never satisfied with what they get.
That doesn’t have any meaning either.
11As more and more goods are made,
more and more people use them up.
So how can those goods benefit their owners?
All they can do is look at them with desire.
12The sleep of a worker is sweet.
It doesn’t matter whether they eat a little or a lot.
But the wealth of rich people
keeps them awake at night.
13I’ve seen something very evil on earth.
It’s when wealth is stored up
and then brings harm to its owners.
14It’s also when wealth is lost
because of an unwise business deal.
Then there won’t be anything left
for the owners’ children.
15Everyone is born naked.
They come into the world with nothing.
And they go out of it with nothing.
They don’t get anything from their work
that they can take with them.
16Here’s something else that is very evil.
Everyone is born, and everyone dies.
And what do they get for their work?
Nothing. It’s like working for the wind.
17All their lives they eat in darkness.
Their lives are full of trouble, suffering and anger.
18I have seen what is good. It is good for a person to eat and drink. It’s good for them to be satisfied with their hard work on this earth. That’s what they should do during the short life God has given them. That’s what God made them for. 19Sometimes God gives a person wealth and possessions. God makes it possible for that person to enjoy them. God helps them accept the life he has given them. God helps them to be happy in their work. All these things are gifts from God. 20A person like that doesn’t have to think about how their life is going. That’s because God fills their heart with joy.
