Ecclesiastes 5
Fulfill Your Vows to God
Watch your step when you enter God’s house. Go there ready to listen instead of offering Him sacrifices in a foolish way, because fools don’t even realize the damage they cause. When you bring things up to God, don’t be hasty with your words, and make sure you aren’t rushing in your heart—He’s in heaven and you’re on earth, so keep your words brief. Dreams show up when there’s lots of activity going on, and foolish talk shows up when there’s lots of words being said.
When you make God a promise, don’t procrastinate to fulfill it, because God takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vows! It’d be better to not even make a vow than to make one but never fulfill it, so don’t let your mouth incriminate you. When you stand in front of God’s representative one day, you won’t want to admit that making that promise was a mistake. Do you want the sound of your voice to make God so upset that He erases your accomplishments? A bunch of dreams are like a vapor, and so are a bunch of words. That’s why we should stand in awe of God.
People in Power Don’t Protect Those Beneath Them
Don’t be surprised when you see the poor being oppressed while justice and goodness are being ignored, because one corrupt person in power is overseen by another, and yet another oversees them both. That’s why a king who serves in the fields is such an advantage to his country.*
*Jesus is a king who serves in the fields
Accumulating Wealth for Yourself is Pointless
Money won’t ever satisfy people who love money, and fame won’t ever satisfy people who love fame. Isn’t that futile? When there’s lots of prosperity, there will also be lots of people wanting to consume it. So what advantage do owners have except for being able to watch it all happen? People who work hard sleep well whether they live off of a little or a lot, but the abundance of the wealthy keeps them up at night.
Here’s another sickening evil I’ve noticed taking place beneath the sun: people desire wealth to their own detriment. If a man loses his savings to a bad investment and then has a child, then he doesn’t leave anthing for his child. The man was naked the day his mother brought him into this world, and he’ll be naked the day he leaves. He won’t take any of the fruits of his labor with him in his hands. That’s a sickening injustice too: people leave exactly the same way that they came. So what’s the advantage of working for your own spirit which is like a breath? Whoever works for their own spirit eats in darkness their entire lives which only increases their own frustration, sickness, and anger.
Enjoy Whatever God Gives You
So here’s something beautiful I’ve found to be of value: eat, drink, and recognize the good in all your work beneath the sun during however many years of life God has given you—because that’s your share in life. And if God has given you wealth, He gave you the power to consume it, so accept your share and enjoy your work, recognizing that it’s a gift from God. Rich people don’t spend too much time thinking about the years of their lives, because God keeps their hearts busy with pleasure.
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