Ecclesiastes 5:1
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
2 Do not be quick to speak, and do not be hasty in your heart to utter a word before God. After all, God is in heaven and you are on earth. So let your words be few.
3 As a dream comes through many cares, so the speech of a fool comes with many words.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.
- KJV
- 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.
- WEB
- 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.
- ASV
- 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.
- DARBY
- Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and draw near to hear, rather than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they know not that they do evil.
- BLB
- Guard your feet when you walk to the house of God; and drawing near to listen [is] above giving the sacrifice of fools, for there are none of them knowing they do evil.
- ÅB
- Vokt din fot når du går til Guds hus! Å komme dit for å høre er bedre enn når dårene bærer fram offer; for de vet ikke at de gjør ondt.
[^1]: som Josef; 1MO 41, 41 fg.
[^2]: kongens. - OTB
- Vær forsiktig når du går inn i Guds hus, og nærm deg for å lytte heller enn å gi dårers offer, som ikke vet at de gjør galt.
- B1930
- Vokt din fot når du går til Guds hus! Å komme dit for å høre er bedre enn når dårene bærer frem offer; for de vet ikke at de gjør ondt.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
James 1:19
My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,
Read in contextHebrews 12:28–29
Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Read in contextProverbs 15:8
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
Read in context1 Peter 2:1–2
Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
Read in contextIsaiah 1:12–20
When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you— this trampling of My courts?
Read in contextProverbs 21:27
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable— how much more so when brought with ill intent!
Read in contextJoshua 5:15
The Commander of the LORD’s army replied, “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Read in contextExodus 3:5
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
Read in context