Ecclesiastes 5

al-tevahel al-pikha velibbekha al-yemaher lehotsi davar lifne ha'elohim ki ha'elohim bashamayim ve'attah al-ha'arets al-ken yihyu devarekha me'attim

Keep your mouth from being rash, and let not your throat be quick to bring forth speech before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; that is why your words should be few.

ki ba hakhalom berov inyan veqol kesil berov devarim

Just as dreams come with much brooding, so does foolish utterance come with much speech.

ka'asher tiddor neder lelohim al-te'akher leshallemo ki en khefets bakkesilim et asher-tiddor shallem

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. For [God] has no pleasure in fools; what you vow, fulfill.

tov asher lo-tiddor mishettiddor velo teshallem

It is better not to vow at all than to vow and not fulfill.

al-titten et-pikha lakhati et-besarekha ve'al-tomar lifne hammalakh ki shegagah hi lammah yiqtsof ha'elohim al-qolekha vekhibbel et-ma'aseh yadekha

Don’t let your mouth bring you into disfavor, and don’t plead before the messenger that it was an error, but fear God; else God may be angered by your talk and destroy your possessions.

ki verov khalomot vahavalim udevarim harbeh ki et-ha'elohim yera

For much dreaming leads to futility and to superfluous talk.

im-osheq rash vegezel mishpat vatsedeq tireh vammedinah al-titmah al-hakhefets ki gavoah me'al gavoah shomer ugevohim alehem

If you see in a province oppression of the poor and suppression of right and justice, don’t wonder at the fact; for one high official is protected by a higher one, and both of them by still higher ones.

veyitron erets bakkol (hy) [hu] melekh lesadeh ne'evad

Thus the greatest advantage in all the land is his: he controls a field that is cultivated.

ohev kesef lo-yisba kesef umi-ohev behamon lo tevu'ah gam-zeh havel

A lover of money is never satisfied with money, nor a lover of wealth, with income. That too is futile.

birvot hattovah rabbu okheleha umah-kkishron livaleha ki im-[re'ut] (ryt) enayw

As one’s substance increases, so do those who consume it; what, then, does the success of its owner amount to but feasting the eyes?

metuqah shenat ha'oved im-me'at ve'im-harbeh yokhel vehassava le'ashir enennu manniakh lo lishon

Workers’ sleep is sweet, whether they have much or little to eat; but the abundance of the rich doesn’t let them sleep.

yesh ra'ah kholah ra'iti takhat hashamesh osher shamur livalayw lera'ato

Here is a grave evil I have observed under the sun: riches hoarded to the detriment of the owners,

ve'avad ha'osher hahu be'inyan ra veholid ben ve'en beyado me'umah

in that those riches are lost in some unlucky venture; and if they produce children, they have nothing in hand.

ka'asher yatsa mibbeten immo arom yashuv lalekhet keshebba ume'umah lo-yissa va'amalo sheyyolekh beyado

Another grave evil is this: The rich must depart just as they came. As they came out of their mother’s womb, so must they depart at last, naked as they came. They can take nothing of their wealth to carry with them.

vegam-zoh ra'ah kholah kol-ummat shebba ken yelekh umah-yyitron lo sheyya'amol laruakh

So what is the good of their toiling for the wind?

gam kol-yamayw bakhoshekh yokhel vekha'as harbeh vekholyo vaqatsef

Besides, all their days they eat in darkness, with much vexation and grief and anger.

hinneh asher-ra'iti ani tov asher-yafeh le'ekhol-velishtot velirot tovah bekhol-amalo sheyya'amol takhat-hashemesh mispar yeme-khayyav asher-natan-lo ha'elohim ki-hu khelqo

Only this, I have found, is a real good: to eat and drink and get pleasure with all the gains you make under the sun, during the numbered days of life that God has given you; for that is your portion.

gam kol-ha'adam asher natan-lo ha'elohim osher unekhasim vehishlito le'ekhol mimmennu velaset et-khelqo velismoakh ba'amalo zoh mattat elohim hi

Also, whenever people are given riches and property by God, and they are also permitted to enjoy them and to take their portion and get pleasure for their gains—that is a gift of God.

ki lo harbeh yizkor et-yeme khayyayw ki ha'elohim ma'aneh besimkhat libbo

For [such people] will not brood much over the days of their life, because God keeps them busy enjoying themselves.