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(4-17) Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to hear is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.
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(5-1) Do not be hasty with your mouth, and let not your heart be quick to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few.
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(5-2) For as a dream comes from much activity, so a fool’s speech comes from many words.
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(5-3) When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it, for he takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
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(5-4) It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
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(5-5) Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your words and destroy the work of your hands?
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(5-6) For as dreams increase, so do many empty words. But fear God.
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(5-7) If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be astonished at the matter; for one high official watches over another, and higher officials are over them.
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(5-8) The advantage of the land in such a case is this: that the king is honored in the country.
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(5-9) Whoever loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor whoever loves wealth with his income. This also is vanity.
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(5-10) When goods increase, those who consume them increase. And what profit has the owner except to see them with his eyes?
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(5-11) Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not let him sleep at all.
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(5-12) There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun: riches kept by their owner to his own hurt.
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(5-13) And those riches perish through misfortune, so that he has nothing left for his son.
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(5-14) As he came from his mother’s womb, so shall he go again, naked as he came; and he shall take nothing from his labor that he may carry in his hand.
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(5-15) This also is a grievous evil: just as he came, so shall he go. And what gain has he who toiled for the wind?
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(5-16) Moreover, all his days he eats in darkness and sorrow, with much vexation, sickness, and anger.
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(5-17) Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is that one should eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the labor with which he toils under the sun during the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his portion.
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(5-18) Every person to whom God has given riches and possessions, and power to enjoy them, to receive his portion, and to rejoice in his labor — this also is the gift of God.
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(5-19) He does not often remember the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
🙏💰📜 Summary of Ecclesiastes 5 – About Worship, Vows, and Money
Ecclesiastes 5 turns attention from the emptiness of the world to an invitation to reflect on how we approach God and wealth. This chapter emphasizes that careless worship, vows without responsibility, and love of money will bring emptiness. Solomon directs the reader to sincerity before God and wisdom in enjoying life.
📌 1. Reverent Worship (verses 1–3)
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God…”
- Come before the Lord with readiness of heart, not mere ritual
- Do not be quick to speak — God is in heaven, and we are on earth
- Much speaking can mean a lack of wisdom
🎯 True worship is born from humility and the stillness of the soul.
📌 2. Do Not Treat Vows Lightly (verses 4–7)
“It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.”
- A promise to God is serious, not empty religious talk
- An unfulfilled vow can bring wrath
🎯 God desires obedience, not only sweet words.
📌 3. Social Injustice Is a Reality (verses 8–9)
“Do not be astonished if you see the poor oppressed…”
- Human structures of power often oppress the weak
- But God remains above all those hierarchies
🎯 The Lord cares about justice, even though the world is not always just.
📌 4. Love of Money Is Never Satisfied (verses 10–12)
“Whoever loves money will not be satisfied with money…”
- Wealth adds worry, not peace
- The rich cannot sleep soundly; ordinary people sleep in peace
🎯 Love of money is a spiritual trap — it drains the heart without filling the soul.
📌 5. Wealth Can Vanish in an Instant (verses 13–17)
“There is a bitter misfortune… that wealth is lost through misfortune…”
- Everything can disappear: inheritance, savings, comfort
- We come naked into the world, and we will return the same way
🎯 Do not rely on wealth — rely on the Lord.
📌 6. Enjoying Life as God’s Gift (verses 18–20)
“To eat, to drink, and to enjoy the fruit of one’s labor… is a gift from God.”
- The Lord gives the power to enjoy, not merely to possess
- Those who fear God will give thanks for both small and great blessings
🎯 Simple living + fear of God = true happiness.
📖 Main Teaching
- Come to the Lord with reverence, not as a routine
- Do not make promises to God if you are not ready to keep them
- Love of money is a source of anxiety, not peace
- Wealth does not last — it can be lost at any time
- True joy comes from enjoying God’s grace with gratitude
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“You cannot serve God and Mammon.”
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only…”
“Godliness with contentment brings great gain.”
“Let your yes be yes; and your no, no…”
🎯 Ecclesiastes 5 is an invitation to an honest, simple spiritual life directed toward God — not toward wealth.
🕊️ “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God.” – Ecclesiastes 5:1
🕊️ “Do not be hasty to speak anything…” – Ecclesiastes 5:2
🕊️ “Whoever loves money will not be satisfied with money.” – Ecclesiastes 5:10
🕊️ “We came naked from our mother’s womb, and we shall go as we came.” – Ecclesiastes 5:15
🕊️ “That too is a gift of God.” – Ecclesiastes 5:19
