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Sunday, July 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

Brenton's Septuagint

Ecclesiastes 5:5

Suffer not thy mouth to lead thy flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the works of thy hands.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Vows;   The Topic Concordance - Swearing/vowing;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Vow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Word;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Man;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jephthah;   Vow;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Oaths;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Temple (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Vows;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Elisha ben Abuyah;   Ḳohelet (Ecclesiastes) Rabbah;   Ḳorban;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 13;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Better that you do not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.
Hebrew Names Version
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
King James Version
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
English Standard Version
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
New American Standard Bible
It is better that you not vow, than vow and not pay.
New Century Version
It is better not to promise anything than to promise something and not do it.
Amplified Bible
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
World English Bible
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not pay.
Geneva Bible (1587)
It is better that thou shouldest not vowe, then that thou shouldest vow and not pay it.
Legacy Standard Bible
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
Berean Standard Bible
It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.
Contemporary English Version
It's better not to make a promise at all than to make one and not keep it.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't let your words make you guilty, and don't tell the temple official that you made the vow by mistake. Why give God reason to be angry at what you say and destroy what you have accomplished?
Darby Translation
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Easy-to-Read Version
It is better to promise nothing than to promise something and not be able to do it.
George Lamsa Translation
It is much better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
Good News Translation
Better not to promise at all than to make a promise and not keep it.
Lexham English Bible
It is better that you not vow than that you vow and not fulfill it.
Literal Translation
It is better that you should not vow, than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf thou promyse eny thinge, paye it: for better it is that thou make no vowe, then that thou shuldest promise, and not paye.
American Standard Version
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Bible in Basic English
It is better not to take an oath than to take an oath and not keep it.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Suffer not thy mouth to bring thy flesh into guilt, neither say thou before the messenger, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
King James Version (1611)
Better is it that thou shouldest not vowe, then that thou shouldest vowe and not pay.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For better is it that thou make no vowe, then that thou shouldest promise and not pay.
English Revised Version
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and it is myche betere to make not a vowe, than aftir a vowe to yelde not biheestis.
Update Bible Version
It is better that you should not vow, than you should vow and not pay.
Webster's Bible Translation
Better [is it] that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay.
New English Translation
It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it.
New King James Version
Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.
New Living Translation
It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it.
New Life Bible
It is better not to make a promise, than to make a promise and not pay it.
New Revised Standard
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not fulfill it.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Better that thou shouldest not vow, - than vow, and not pay.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(5-4) And it is much better not to vow, than after a vow not to perform the things promised.
Revised Standard Version
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
Young's Literal Translation
Better that thou do not vow, than that thou dost vow and dost not complete.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Contextual Overview

4 It is better that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 5 Suffer not thy mouth to lead thy flesh to sin; and say not in the presence of God, It was an error: lest God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the works of thy hands. 6 For there is evil in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God. 7 If thou shouldest see the oppression of the poor, and the wresting of judgment and of justice in the land, wonder not at the matter: for there is a high one to watch over him that is high, and high ones over them. 8 Also the abundance of the earth is for every one: the king is dependent on the tilled field.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Deuteronomy 23:22, Proverbs 20:25, Acts 5:4

Reciprocal: Genesis 35:7 - built Leviticus 22:21 - to accomplish Leviticus 27:2 - a singular vow Numbers 30:2 - he shall do Deuteronomy 23:21 - General Deuteronomy 23:23 - That which Judges 11:30 - General Nehemiah 5:13 - the people Psalms 22:25 - I will Psalms 50:14 - pay Psalms 116:18 - General Psalms 119:106 - sworn Jonah 2:9 - I will pay Malachi 1:14 - which hath in his flock Mark 12:17 - and to

Cross-References

Genesis 3:19
Thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
Genesis 5:7
And Seth lived after his begetting Enos, seven hundred and seven years, and he begot sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:8
And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died.
Genesis 5:10
And Enos lived after his begetting Cainan, seven hundred and fifteen years, and he begot sons and daughters.
Genesis 5:11
And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died.
Genesis 5:12
And Cainan lived an hundred and seventy years, and he begot Maleleel.
Genesis 5:14
And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died.
Genesis 5:21
And Enoch lived an hundred and sixty and five years, and begat Mathusala.
Genesis 5:22
And Enoch was well-pleasing to God after his begetting Mathusala, two hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters.
Deuteronomy 30:20
to love the Lord thy God, to hearken to his voice, and cleave to him; for this is thy life, and the length of thy days, that thou shouldest dwell upon the land, which the Lord sware to thy fathers, Abraam, and Isaac, and Jacob, to give to them.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow,.... For a vow is an arbitrary thing; a man is not bound to make it, and while he vows not, it is in his own power, and at his option, whether he will do this or that, or not; but when he has once vowed, he is then brought under an obligation, and must perform; see Acts 5:4; and therefore it is better not to vow; it is more acceptable to God, and, it is better for a man;

than that thou shouldest vow and not pay; for this shows great weakness and folly, levity and inconstancy, and is resented by the Lord.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 5:5. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, c. — We are under constant obligations to live to God no vow can make it more so. Yet, there may be cases in which we should bind ourselves to take up some particular cross, to perform some particular duty, to forego some particular attachment that does not tend to bring our souls nearer to God. Then, if fully determined, and strong in faith relative to the point, bind and hold fast; but if not fully, rationally, and conscientiously determined, "do not suffer thy mouth to cause thy soul to sin."


 
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