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The actual, original, first printing of the 1611 King James Version (‘HE’ Bible) — Ecclesiastes Chapter 5.

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Ecclesiastes Chapter 5 Original 1611 KJV Bible Scan

CHAP. V.

1 Vanities in Diuine seruice, 8 in murmuring against oppression, 9 and in Riches. 18 Ioy in riches is the gift of God.

1 Kepe thy foote when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to heare, then to giue the sacrifice of fooles: for they consider not that they doe euill.1

2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to vtter any thing before God: for God is in heauen, and thou vpon earth: therefore let thy words be few.2

3 For a dreame commeth through the multitude of businesse, and a fooles voyce is knowen by multitude of words.

4 When thou vowest a vow vnto God, deferre not to pay it: for he hath no pleasure in fooles; pay that which thou hast vowed.4

5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vowe, then that thou shouldest vowe and not pay.

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6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne, neither say thou before the Angel, that it was an errour: wherefore should God be angrie at thy voyce, and destroy the worke of thine hands?

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7 For in the multitude of dreames and many words, there are also diuers vanities: but feare thou God.

8 If thou seest the oppression of the poore, and violent peruerting of iudgement, and iustice in a prouince, maruell not at the matter: for he that is higher then the highest, regardeth, and there be higher then they.8

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9 Moreouer the profit of the earth is for all: the king himselfe is serued by the field.

10 Hee that loueth siluer shall not be satisfied with siluer; nor he that loueth abundance, with increase: this is also vanitie.

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11 When goods increase, they are increased that eate them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, sauing the beholding of them with their eyes?

12 The sleepe of a labouring man is sweete, whether he eate little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleepe.

13 There is a sore euill which I haue seene vnder the Sun, namely riches kept for the owners therof to their hurt.

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14 But those riches perish by euill trauell; and he begetteth a sonne, and there is nothing in his hand.

15 As he came forth of his mothers wombe, naked shall he returne to goe as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.15

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16 And this also is a sore euill, that in all points as he came, so shall hee goe: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the winde?16

17 All his dayes also hee eateth in darkenesse, and he hath much sorrowe, and wrath with his sicknesse.

18 Behold that which I haue seene: It is good and comely for one to eate and to drinke, and to enioy the good of all his labour that he taketh vnder the sunne, all the dayes of his life, which God giueth him: for it is his portion.18

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19 Euery man also to whom God hath giuen riches and wealth, and hath giuen him power to eate thereof, and to take his portion, and to reioyce in his labour; this is the gift of God.

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20 For he shall not much remember the dayes of his life: because God answereth him in the ioy of his heart.20

Ecclesiastes Chapter 5 Sidenote References (from Original 1611 KJV Bible)

1 1.Sam.15 22. psal.50. 8. prou.15. 8. & 21.27.
2 Or, word. , Mat.6.7. prou.10.19.
4 Deut.23. 21. , Psal.66. 13,14.
8 Heb. at the will or purpose.
15 Iob.1. 21. 1.tim.6.7. psal. 49.17.
16 Chap.1.2.
18 Chap.2. 24 and 3. 12. , Heb. there is a good which is comely, &c. , Heb. the number of the dayes.
20 Or, though he giue not much, yet he remembred &c.

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