Mere religious practices cannot satisfy
5:1 (4:17) Guard your steps when you goes to the House of Elohim (אלהים), and be more ready to shema, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
5:2 (5:1) Be not hasty (impulsive ) in your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before Elohim (אלהים): for Elohim (אלהים) is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few.
5:3 (5:2) For a dream comes through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
5:4 (5:3) When you make a vow to Elohim (אלהים), defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you hast vowed.
5:5 (5:4) Better is it that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
5:6 (5:5) Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger, that it was a mistake: Why should Elohim (אלהים) be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
5:7 (5:6) For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers havalim (vanities): but fear Elohim (אלהים).
5:8 (5:7) If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of mishpat and tzedek in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.
5:9 (5:8) Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
5:10 (5:9) He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loves abundance with increase: this is also hevel (vanity).
5:11 (5:10) When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
5:12 (5:11) 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.
5:13 (5:12) There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: Riches kept for their owner to his hurt.
5:14 (5:13) But those riches perish through misfortune; And he brings forth a son, but he has nothing in his hand.
5:15 (5:14) 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.
5:16 (5:15) And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit has he that has laboured for the wind?
5:17 (5:16) All his days also he eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
5:18 (5:17) Hinnei that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he takes under the sun all the days of his life, which Elohim (אלהים) gives him: for it is his portion.
5:19 (5:18) Every man also to whom Elohim (אלהים) has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of Elohim (אלהים).
5:20 (5:19) For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because Elohim (אלהים) answers him in the joy of his heart.