{[Chapter 4:17 in Hebrew]}Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; for to draw nigh to hear is better than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil. {[Chapter 5:1 in Hebrew]}
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter {Or, a word}anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
For a dream cometh with a multitude of {Or, travail}business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the {Or, messenger of God See Malachi 2:7.}angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.
If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in {Or, the state}a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.
{Or, But the profit of a land every way is a king that maketh himself servant to the field (or, is a king over the cultivated field)}Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes?
The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much; but the fulness of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
and those riches perish by evil {Or, travail}adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
As he came forth from his mother's womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand.
And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that he laboreth for the wind?
All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
Behold, {Or, that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one &c.}that which I have seen to be good and to be comely is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, wherein he laboreth under the sun, {Hebrew: the number of days.}all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.
Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor — this is the gift of God.
For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Querverweise zu Prediger 5,1 Pred 5,1
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely Jehovah is in this place; and I knew it not.
Forthwith therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.
And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.
Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.
therefore said I, Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Gilgal, and I have not entreated the favor of Jehovah: I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt-offering.
And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
{Or, Know ye}Ye know this, my beloved brethren. But let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would Jehovah have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that Jehovah spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that {Or, are nigh}come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
Putting away therefore all {Or, malice 1 Corinthians 14:20.}wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto Jehovah thy God in Gilgal.
And the prince of Jehovah's host said unto Joshua, Put off thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
as newborn babes, long for the {Greek: belonging to the reason. Compare Romans 12:1.}spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;
And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up, {Or, to his destruction}so that he did corruptly, and he trespassed against Jehovah his God; for he went into the temple of Jehovah to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; {Or, Not for thy burnt-offerings, which are &c.}And thy burnt-offerings are continually before me.
I will take no bullock out of thy house,Nor he-goats out of thy folds.
For every beast of the forest is mine,And the cattle {Or, upon the mountains where thousands are}upon a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the mountains;And the wild beasts of the field are {Or, in my mind Hebrew: with me.}mine.
If I were hungry, I would not tell thee;For the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.
Will I eat the flesh of bulls,Or drink the blood of goats?
Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanksgiving;And pay thy vows unto the Most High;
And call upon me in the day of trouble:I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.
But unto the wicked God saith,What hast thou to do to declare my statutes,And that thou hast taken my covenant in thy mouth,
Seeing thou hatest {Or, correction}instruction,And castest my words behind thee?
When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him,And {Hebrew: thy portion was with adulterers.}hast been partaker with adulterers.
A God very terrible in the council of the holy ones,And to be feared above all them that are round about him?
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to Jehovah;But the prayer of the upright is his delight.
When ye come {Or, as otherwisw read, to see my face}to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
Bring no more {Hebrew: an oblation of vanity.}vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies, — {Or, I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even me solemn meeting}I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a {Or, cumbrance}trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them.
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
learn to do well; seek justice, {Or, set right the oppressor}relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:
but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination:How much more, when he bringeth it {Or, to atone for wickedness}with a wicked mind!
What, have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the {Or, congregation}church of God, and put them to shame that {Or, have nothing}have not? What shall I say to you? {Or, shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.}shall I praise you? In this I praise you not.
When ye come {Or, as otherwisw read, to see my face}to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
Bring no more {Hebrew: an oblation of vanity.}vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; new moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies, — {Or, I cannot away with, it is iniquity, even me solemn meeting}I cannot away with iniquity and the solemn meeting.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a {Or, cumbrance}trouble unto me; I am weary of bearing them.
And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have {Or, thankfulness Compare 1 Corinthians 10:30.}grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with {Or, godly fear Compare chapter 5:7.}reverence and awe:
He that killeth an ox is as he that slayeth a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as he that breaketh a dog's neck; he that offereth {Or, a meal-offering}an oblation, as he that offereth swine's blood; he that {Hebrew: maketh a memorial of.}burneth frankincense, as he that blesseth an idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations:
for our God is a consuming fire.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt-offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat ye flesh.
For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offerings or sacrifices:
but this thing I commanded them, saying, Hearken unto my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk ye in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
For I desire {Or, kindness}goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.
But they {Or, are as men that have transgressed a covenant}like {Or, men}Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name {Or, is}shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place {Or, incense and a pure oblation are offered}incense {Or, is}shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name {Or, is}shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts.
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,