Quotation for Ecclesiastes 5:1
אַל־תְּבַהֵ֨ל עַל־פִּ֜יךָ וְלִבְּךָ֧ אַל־יְמַהֵ֛ר לְהוֹצִ֥יא דָבָ֖ר לִפְנֵ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י הָאֱלֹהִ֤ים בַּשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְאַתָּ֣ה עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ עַֽל־כֵּ֛ן יִהְי֥וּ דְבָרֶ֖יךָ מְעַטִּֽים׃
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth; therefore let thy words be few.
Footnotes to Kohelet by Bruce Heitler
This phrase could also mean, "Do not be worried about your mouth, but do not rush your intellect . . . ." Both meanings probably apply, and the sense of "worry about your mouth" emphasizes the required balance between caution and boldness. However, we have chosen the translation which emphasizes the importance of restraining impulses and limiting the number of our words.
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