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Read the Bible

Updated Bible Version

Ecclesiastes 5:6

Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say before the angel, that it was an error: why should God be angry at your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Angel (a Spirit);   Falsehood;   Priest;   Sin;   Vows;   The Topic Concordance - Speech/communication;   Swearing/vowing;   Vanity;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Angel;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Vow;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Presence of God;   Word;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Man;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Angels;   Ecclesiastes, the Book of;   Sin Offering;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Ecclesiastes, Book of;   Israel, History of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Destroy;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher;   Err;   Ignorance;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Angels;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for September 13;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh 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 wreak destruction on the work of your hands?
New American Standard Bible (1995)
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?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy fleshe for to sinne, neither say thou before the angell that it is thy ignoraunce: for then God wyll be angry at thy voyce, and destroy all the worke of thyne handes.
Darby Translation
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?
New King James Version
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 [fn] and destroy the work of your hands?
Literal Translation
Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; do not say before the angel that it was an error. Why should God be angry over your voice, and destroy the work of your hands?
Easy-to-Read Version
So don't let your words cause you to sin. Don't say to the priest, "I didn't mean what I said." If you do this, God might become angry with your words and destroy everything you have worked for.
World English Bible
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?
King James Version (1611)
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sinne, neither say thou before the Angel, that it was an errour: wherefore should God be angrie at thy voyce, and destroy the worke of thine hands?
King James Version
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?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Vse not thy mouth to cause yi flesh for to synne, yt thou saye not before the angell: my foolishnesse is in ye faute. For the God wil be angrie at thy voyce, and destroye all ye workes of thine handes.
THE MESSAGE
Don't let your mouth make a total sinner of you. When called to account, you won't get by with "Sorry, I didn't mean it." Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation?
Amplified Bible
Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands?
American Standard Version
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?
Bible in Basic English
Let not your mouth make your flesh do evil. And say not before the angel, It was an error. So that God may not be angry with your words and put an end to the work of your hands.
Webster's Bible Translation
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it [was] an error: why should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
New English Translation
Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not tell the priest, "It was a mistake!" Why make God angry at you so that he would destroy the work of your hands?"
Contemporary English Version
Don't let your mouth get you in trouble! And don't say to the worship leader, "I didn't mean what I said." God can destroy everything you have worked for, so don't say something that makes God angry.
Complete Jewish Bible
For [this is what happens when there are too] many dreams, aimless activities and words. Instead, just fear God!
Geneva Bible (1587)
Suffer not thy mouth to make thy flesh to sinne: neither say before the Angel, that this is ignorance: wherefore shall God bee angry by thy voyce, and destroy the worke of thine hands?
George Lamsa Translation
Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say before God that it was an error, lest God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands.
Hebrew Names Version
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?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
For through the multitude of dreams and vanities there are also many words; but fear thou God.
New Living Translation
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.
New Life Bible
Do not let your mouth cause you to sin. And do not say to the one sent from God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of what you said, and destroy the work of your hands?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For there is evil in a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words: but fear thou God.
English Revised Version
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?
Berean Standard Bible
Do not let your mouth cause your body to sin, and do not tell the messenger that your vow was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?
New Revised Standard
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?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not let thy mouth cause thy flesh to sin, - neither say thou, before the messenger, that it was, a mistake, - wherefore should God be indignant at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?
Douay-Rheims Bible
(5-5) Give not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin: and say not before the angel: There is no providence: lest God be angry at thy words, and destroy all the works of thy hands.
Lexham English Bible
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?
English Standard Version
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?
New American Standard Bible
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?
New Century Version
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.
Good News Translation
Don't let your own words lead you into sin, so that you have to tell God's priest that you didn't mean it. Why make God angry with you? Why let him destroy what you have worked for?
Christian Standard Bible®
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?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue thou not thi mouth, that thou make thi fleisch to do synne; nether seie thou bifor an aungel, No puruyaunce is; lest perauenture the Lord be wrooth on thi wordis, and distruye alle the werkis of thin hondis.
Revised Standard Version
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?
Young's Literal Translation
Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger, that `it [is] an error,' why is God wroth because of thy voice, and hath destroyed the work of thy hands?

Contextual Overview

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 you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not allow your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say before the angel, that it was an error: 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, and in many words: but fear God. 8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a province, don't marvel at the matter: for one higher than the high regards; and there are higher than those.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thy mouth: Ecclesiastes 5:1, Ecclesiastes 5:2, James 1:26, James 3:2

before: Or, "before the messenger," hammalach, the priest whose business it was to take cognizance of vows and offerings. Leviticus 5:4, Leviticus 5:5, Genesis 48:16, Hosea 12:4, Hosea 12:5, Malachi 2:7, Malachi 3:1, Acts 7:30-35, 1 Corinthians 11:10, 1 Timothy 5:21, Hebrews 1:14

it was: Leviticus 5:4-6, Leviticus 27:9, Leviticus 27:10

destroy: Haggai 1:9-11, Haggai 2:14-17, 1 Corinthians 3:13-15, 2 John 1:8

Reciprocal: Joshua 9:18 - had sworn Job 31:30 - mouth Proverbs 10:17 - erreth Proverbs 15:28 - heart

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he named him Enosh. Then it was begun to call on the name of Yahweh.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin,.... That is, himself, who is corrupt and depraved; either by making a rash vow, which it is not in his power to keep; or such is the corruption of his nature, and the weakness of the flesh, that he cannot keep it; or by making sinful excuses after he has made the vow, and so is guilty of lying, or false swearing, or other sins of the flesh. Jarchi by "flesh" understands his children, on whom his iniquity may be visited and punished; and the Targum interprets this punishment of the judgment or condemnation of hell; see Proverbs 20:25;

neither say thou before the angel that it [was] an error; that it was done ignorantly and through mistake: that it was not intended, and that this was not the meaning of the vow; and therefore desires to be excused performing it, or to offer a sacrifice in lieu of it. Interpreters are divided about the angel before whom such an excuse should not be made. Some think angel is put for angels in general, in whose presence, and before whom, as witnesses, vows are made; and who were signified by the cherubim in the sanctuary, where they were to be performed, and who are present in the worshipping assemblies of saints, where these things are done, 1 Timothy 5:21; others think the guardian angel is meant, which they suppose every man has; and others that Christ, the Angel of the covenant, is designed, who is in the midst of his people, sees and knows all that is done by them, and will not admit of their excuses; but it is most probable the priest is intended, called the angel, or messenger, of the Lord of hosts, Malachi 2:7; to whom such who had made vows applied to be loosed from them, acknowledging their error in making them; or to offer sacrifice for their sin of ignorance, Leviticus 5:4;

wherefore should God be angry at thy voice; either in making a rash and sinful vow, or in excusing that which was made;

and destroy the work of thine hands? wrought with success, for which the vow was made; and so, instead of its succeeding, is destroyed, and comes to nothing. Vows made by the Jews were chiefly about their houses, or fields, or cattle; see Leviticus 27:28; and so the destruction suggested may signify the curse that God would bring upon any of these, for excusing or not performing the vow made.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Suffer not thy mouth ... - i. e., Do not make rash vows which may hereafter be the cause of evasion and prevarication, and remain unfulfilled.

Before the angel - The Septuagint and some other versions render “before the face of God,” meaning a spiritual being representing the presence of God, a minister of divine justice Exodus 23:21, such a one as inflicted judgment upon David 2 Samuel 24:17. Others, with less probability, understand the angel to be a priest, and refer to Malachi 2:7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Ecclesiastes 5:6. Neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error — Nor think of saying "before the cruel angel, who shall exercise authority over thee in the judgment of the great day, that thou didst it through ignorance." - Chaldee. I believe by the angel nothing else is intended than the priest, whose business it was to take cognizance of vows and offerings. See Leviticus 5:4-5. In Malachi 2:7, the priest is called the "angel of the Lord of hosts."


 
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