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- Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
- Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.
- As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words.
- When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.
- It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
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- Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil.
- Do not be hasty in word or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your words be few.
- For the dream comes through much effort and the voice of a fool through many words.
- When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools Pay what you vow!
- It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
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- Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands?
- Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.
- If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.
- The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.
- Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
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- Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?
- For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.
- If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight; for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them.
- After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.
- He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.
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- As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them?
- The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.
- I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner,
- or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him.
- Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.
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- When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to look on?
- The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
- There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt.
- When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him.
- As he had come naked from his mother's womb, so will he return as he came He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand.
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- This too is a grievous evil: As a man comes, so he departs, and what does he gain, since he toils for the wind?
- All his days he eats in darkness, with great frustration, affliction and anger.
- Then I realized that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given him--for this is his lot.
- Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God.
- He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart.
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- This also is a grievous evil--exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?
- Throughout his life he also eats in darkness with great vexation, sickness and anger.
- Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and enjoy oneself in all one's labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his life which God has given him; for this is his reward.
- Furthermore, as for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God.
- For he will not often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of his heart.
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