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Ecclesiastes 5:4–7

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.r He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.s It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.t Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.u

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Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — English Standard Version (ESV)

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — King James Version (KJV 1900)

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. 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 angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — New Living Translation (NLT)

When you make a promise to God, don’t delay in following through, for God takes no pleasure in fools. Keep all the promises you make to him. It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth make you sin. And don’t defend yourself by telling the Temple messenger that the promise you made was a mistake. That would make God angry, and he might wipe out everything you have achieved.

Talk is cheap, like daydreams and other useless activities. Fear God instead.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — The New King James Version (NKJV)

When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it;

For He has no pleasure in fools.

Pay what you have vowed—

Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands? For in the multitude of dreams and many words there is also vanity. But fear God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — New Century Version (NCV)

If you make a promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it. God is not happy with fools, so give God what you promised. It is better not to promise anything than to promise something and not do it. Don’t let your words cause you to sin, and don’t say to the priest at the Temple, “I didn’t mean what I promised.” If you do, God will become angry with your words and will destroy everything you have worked for. Many useless promises are like so many dreams; they mean nothing. You should respect God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — American Standard Version (ASV)

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 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.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)

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. 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 angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands? For in the multitude of dreams are vanities; so with many words: but fear God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

When you make a promise to God, don’t be slow to keep it because God doesn’t like fools. Keep your promise. It is better not to make a promise than to make one and not keep it. Don’t let your mouth talk you into committing a sin. Don’t say in the presence of a ⸤temple⸥ messenger, “My promise was a mistake!” Why should God become angry at your excuse and destroy what you’ve accomplished? 

In spite of many daydreams, pointless actions, and empty words, you should still fear God. 

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

When you make a vow to God, don’t delay fulfilling it, because He does not delight in fools. Fulfill what you vow. Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth bring guilt on you, and do not say in the presence of the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? For many dreams bring futility, so do many words. Therefore, fear God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your words, and destroy the work of your hands?

With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)

When you make a vow to God,

do not delay in fulfilling it,

for he takes no pleasure in fools.

Fulfill what you vow!

It is better that you not vow

than that you vow and not fulfill it.

Do not let your mouth lead your flesh into sin,

and do not tell the messenger that it was a mistake.

Why anger God at your words,

so that he destroys the work of your hands?

For with many dreams come vanities and numerous words.

Therefore, fear God!

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)

When you make a promise to God, don’t wait too long to carry it out. He isn’t pleased with foolish people. So do what you have promised. It is better to make no promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it.

Don’t let your mouth cause you to sin. Don’t object to the temple messenger. Don’t say, “My promise was a mistake.” Why should God be angry with what you say? Why should he destroy what you have done? Dreaming too much and talking too much are meaningless. So have respect for God.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)

When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God.


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