{[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 5,2 Pred 5,2
And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes:
But our God is in the heavens:He hath done whatsoever he pleased.
For a dream cometh with a multitude of {Or, travail}business, and a fool's voice with a multitude of words.
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.
And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
In the multitude of words there wanteth not transgression;But he that refraineth his lips {Or, is wise}doeth wisely.
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,
And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
then this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.
For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also.
When a man voweth a vow unto Jehovah, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not {Hebrew: profane.}break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Also when a woman voweth a vow unto Jehovah, and bindeth herself by a bond, being in her father's house, in her youth,
and her father heareth her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father holdeth his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, none of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and Jehovah will forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into my hand,
And the men of Israel were distressed that day; for Saul had adjured the people, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food until it be evening, and I be avenged on mine enemies. So none of the people tasted food.
And all {Hebrew: the land.}the people came into the forest; and there was honey upon the ground.
And when the people were come unto the forest, behold, {Or, a stream of honey}the honey dropped: but no man put his hand to his mouth; for the people feared the oath.
But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened.
Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth food this day. And the people were faint.
Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
How much more, if haply the people had eaten freely to-day of the spoil of their enemies which they found? {Or, for had there not been now a much greater slaughter &c.?}for now hath there been no great slaughter among the Philistines.
And they smote of the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were very faint;
and the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people did eat them with the blood.
Then they told Saul, saying, Behold, the people sin against Jehovah, in that they eat with the blood. And he said, Ye have dealt treacherously: roll a great stone unto me this day.
And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them, Bring me hither every man his ox, and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and eat; and sin not against Jehovah in eating with the blood. And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.
And Saul built an altar unto Jehovah: the same was the first altar that he built unto Jehovah.
And Saul said, Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them. And they said, Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee. Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God.
And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not that day.
And Saul said, Draw nigh hither, all ye {Hebrew: corners.}chiefs of the people; and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.
For, as Jehovah liveth, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
Therefore Saul said unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, {Or, Give a perfect lot}Show the right. And Jonathan and Saul were taken by lot; but the people escaped.
And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did certainly taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die.
And Saul said, God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far from it: as Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people {Hebrew: ransomed.}rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom.