Ecclesiastes 5: Draw Near and Listen
The Preacher calls for reverence before God and warns that the love of money never satisfies, returning again to the gift of enjoying our work.
Ecclesiastes 5 (WEB)
1 Guard your steps when you go to God’s house; for to draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools, for they don’t know that they do evil.
2 Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3 For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.
4 When you vow a vow to God, don’t defer to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay that which you vow.
5 It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
6 Don’t allow your mouth to lead you into sin. Don’t protest before the messenger that this was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, as well as in many words: but you must fear God.
8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter: for one official is eyed by a higher one; and there are officials over them.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all. The king profits from the field.
10 He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
11 When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes?
12 The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the abundance of the rich will not allow him to sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: wealth kept by its owner to his harm.
14 Those riches perish by misfortune, and if he has fathered a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came out of 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.
16 This also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go. And what profit does he have who labors for the wind?
17 All his days he also eats in darkness, he is frustrated, and has sickness and wrath.
18 Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion.
19 Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.
20 For he shall not often reflect on the days of his life; because God occupies him with the joy of his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5 (KJV)
1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity.
11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good is there to the owners thereof, saving the beholding of them with their eyes?
12 The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt.
14 But those riches perish by evil travail: and he begetteth a son, and there is nothing in his hand.
15 As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
16 And this also is a sore evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go: and what profit hath he that hath laboured for the wind?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much sorrow and wrath with his sickness.
18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
19 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 labour; this is the gift of God.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Ecclesiastes 5 (ASV)
1 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.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh with a multitude of business, and a fool’s voice with a multitude of words.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams there are vanities, and in many words: but fear thou God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, marvel not at the matter: for one higher than the high regardeth; and there are higher than they.
9 Moreover the profit of the earth is for all: the king himself is served by the field.
10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
11 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?
12 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.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt:
14 and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.
15 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.
16 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?
17 All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he is sore vexed, and hath sickness and wrath.
18 Behold, 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, all the days of his life which God hath given him: for this is his portion.
19 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.
20 For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart.
Summary
The Preacher now lifts his eyes to worship and warns us to guard our steps when we go to God's house. To draw near and listen is better than the careless sacrifice of fools who do not know they do evil. Because God is in heaven and we are on earth, we should let our words be few, not rash, and we should keep our vows rather than make promises we will not pay. In all our many words and dreams, the abiding command is to fear God. He then addresses oppression and the love of wealth. We should not be shocked when we see the poor oppressed, for officials watch over officials in endless layers. But riches cannot satisfy: the one who loves silver is never content with silver, and growing wealth only multiplies those who consume it. The laborer sleeps sweetly while the abundance of the rich keeps them awake. Wealth hoarded harms its owner, and we leave the world as naked as we entered it, carrying nothing away. So the Preacher returns to his refrain: it is good and fitting to eat, drink, and enjoy the good of our labor, for that is our portion. To the one whom God enables to receive and rejoice in his work, this is the gift of God, and God keeps him occupied with the joy of his heart.
Main Characters
- The Preacher (Qoheleth) — The teacher who counsels reverent worship and few words before God, exposes the emptiness of loving money, and again commends joy in labor as God's gift.
- God — The One who is in heaven, to be feared and obeyed, who is displeased by careless vows and who gives the power to enjoy wealth and work as gifts.
- The lover of money — The person never satisfied by silver or abundance, kept awake by riches and harmed by hoarding, whose discontent illustrates wealth's empty promise.
Key Verse
Ecclesiastes 5:10 (WEB)
He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase: this also is vanity.
Lessons Learned
- Worship calls for reverence: better to draw near and listen than to offer careless words to God.
- Because God is in heaven and we are on earth, our promises to him are to be kept, not made lightly.
- The love of money is a thirst that more money can never quench.
- We bring nothing into the world and carry nothing out, so wealth makes a poor foundation for our hope.
- Come to God ready to listen. “To draw near to listen is better than to give the sacrifice of fools” (Ecclesiastes 5:1, WEB). True worship begins with reverent attention to God, not with our own performance.
- Let your words before God be few. “God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few” (Ecclesiastes 5:2, WEB). Reverence guards us from rash promises and empty religious talk.
- Money never satisfies. “He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5:10, WEB). The appetite for wealth grows the more it is fed, and can never be filled.
- We leave as empty-handed as we came. “As he came out of his mother's womb, naked shall he go again” (Ecclesiastes 5:15, WEB). Since we carry nothing away, our hope cannot rest on what we accumulate.
- What does it look like to “guard your steps” when you go to God's house (5:1), and how is listening better than the sacrifice of fools?
- Why does the reminder that “God is in heaven, and you on earth” (5:2) lead to fewer, more careful words in worship and vows?
- How does the Preacher describe the dissatisfaction of those who love money (5:10-12), and where do you see this around you?
- What sobering truth does the image of leaving the world naked (5:15) teach about the limits of wealth?
- How might receiving your work and possessions as “the gift of God” (5:19) change your relationship to both this week?
- Guarding our steps means coming to worship with humility and attentiveness, eager to hear God rather than to impress him (5:1). The “sacrifice of fools” is religious activity offered without a listening heart. The contrast urges us to value reverent listening over busy, careless devotion.
- The reminder restores a right sense of scale: the infinite God in heaven and small, earthbound us (5:2). Such reverence makes us cautious about rash vows and many words, since we are speaking to the Lord of all. It guards worship from becoming casual or self-serving.
- He observes that lovers of money are never satisfied, that growing wealth simply attracts more consumers, and that the abundance of the rich robs them of sleep (5:10-12). The pattern is everywhere—the next raise, purchase, or upgrade promising contentment it can never deliver. Invite the group to notice it honestly in their own hearts.
- We enter the world with nothing and leave it the same way, carrying nothing of our labor with us (5:15). This strips wealth of any ultimate security; it cannot follow us beyond the grave. The truth frees us to hold possessions loosely and to invest in what lasts.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to consider how seeing work and possessions as gifts—rather than achievements or entitlements—reshapes gratitude, generosity, and contentment. As leader, gently steer away from guilt over wealth toward joyful, open-handed stewardship before God.