ECC 5:6 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not necessarily natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for Bible-translators and others doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still early looks into the drafted texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal Speaker(s)=Narrator (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX (ECC 5:5) Μὴ δῷς τὸ στόμα σου τοῦ ἐξαμαρτῆσαι τὴν σάρκα σου, καὶ μὴ εἴπῃς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἄγνοιά ἐστιν· ἵνα μὴ ὀργισθῇ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ φωνῇ σου, καὶ διαφθείρῃ τὰ ποιήματα χειρῶν σου.
(Maʸ dōis to stoma sou tou examartaʸsai taʸn sarka sou, kai maʸ eipaʸs pro prosōpou tou Theou, hoti agnoia estin; hina maʸ orgisthaʸ ho Theos epi fōnaʸ sou, kai diaftheiraʸ ta poiaʸmata ⱪeirōn sou.)

BrTr (ECC 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.

ULT Do not give your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, and do not say to the face of the messenger that it, was an unintentional sin. Why should God be angry concerning your voice and destroy the deed of your hands?

UST You should never talk in such a way that, by failing to do what you promise, you begin to sin. It would be shameful if you publicly promised God that you would offer him a sacrifice, only to lie and attempt to justify yourself when God’s priest arrived to collect the sacrificial animal from you. You might foolishly claim that you made a mistake in promising to sacrifice to God. If you were to do that, God would be so frustrated with your so-called promises that he would destroy everything you have worked to accomplish!

BSB & MSB Do not let your mouth {cause} your flesh to sin, and do not tell the messenger[fn] that [your vow] was a mistake. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands?

5:6 Or angel

OEB No OEB ECC 5:6 book available

CSB 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?

NLT 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.

NIV 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?

CEV 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.

ESV 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?

NASB 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?

LSB 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?

WEBBE & WMBB 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?

MSG 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?

NET 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?”

LSV Do not permit your mouth to cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger that it [is] ignorance. Why is God angry because of your voice and has destroyed the work of your hands?

FBV Don't let your mouth cause you to sin. And don't tell the priest[fn] that your vow was a mistake, for why would you antagonize God by breaking your promise?[fn] He could bring your own curse down on you.

5:6 Literally, “messenger.” In Malachi 2:7 priests are identified as messengers. In any case, the situation is one of informing someone at the Temple that the promise (vow) you made was a mistake.

5:6 Many such promises (vows) included a self-pronounced curse if it was not kept—so by failing to keep the promise, the individual would be subject to the curse they had pronounced on themselves.

T4T Do not sin by promising to do something and then not doing it. And when you promise God to do something and do not do it, do not say to God’s priest that it was a mistake for you to promise to do that. If you do that, God will certainly [RHQ] become very angry with you, and he will take from you everything that you [SYN] have worked to acquire.

LEB • 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?

NRSV 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?

NKJV 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?

NAB Let not your utterances make you guilty, and say not before his representative, “It was a mistake.” Why should God be angered by your words and destroy the works of your hands?

BBE 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.

Moff Never allow your lips to lay you open to punishment; never say to God, “I vowed that by mistake,” lest God be angry at your excuse and undo you. Stand inawe of God

JPS (ECC 5:5) (5-4) Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.

ASV 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?

DRA (ECC 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.

YLT 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?

Drby Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an inadvertence. Wherefore should [fn]God be wroth at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

5.6 Elohim

RV 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?
(Suffer not thy/your mouth to cause thy/your flesh to sin; neither say thou/you before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy/your voice, and destroy the work of thine/your hands?)

SLT Thou shalt not give thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; and thou shalt not say to the face of the messenger that it is an error: wherefore shall God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?

Wbstr 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?

KJB-1769 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?
(Suffer not thy/your mouth to cause thy/your flesh to sin; neither say thou/you before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy/your voice, and destroy the work of thine/your hands?)

KJB-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?
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)

Bshps 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.
(Suffer not thy/your mouth to cause thy/your flesh for to sin, neither say thou/you before the angel that it is thy/your ignorance: for then God will be angry at thy/your voice, and destroy all the work of thine/your hands.)

Gnva For in the multitude of dreames, and vanities are also many wordes: but feare thou God.
(For in the multitude of dreams, and vanities are also many words: but fear thou/you God.)

Cvdl 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.
(Use not thy/your mouth to cause ye/you_all flesh for to sin, it thou/you say not before the angel: my foolishness is in ye/you_all fault. For the God will be angry at thy/your voice, and destroy all ye/you_all works of thine/your hands.)

Wycl (ECC 5:5) 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.
(Give thou/you not thy/your mouth, that thou/you make thy/your flesh to do sin; neither say thou/you before an angel, No providence is; lest peradventure/perhaps the Lord be wrath on thy/your words, and destroy all the works of thine/your hands.)

Luth (ECC 5:5) Verhänge deinem Mund nicht, daß er dein Fleisch verführe, und sprich vor dem Engel nicht: Ich bin unschuldig. GOtt möchte erzürnen über deine Stimme und verdammen alle Werke deiner Hände.
(Impositions your mouth not, that he your(s) flesh seduce, and say before/in_front_of to_him angel not: I am innocent. God want anger above your voice(n) and damn/condemn all work your(s) hands.)

ClVg (ECC 5:5) Ne dederis os tuum ut peccare facias carnem tuam, neque dicas coram angelo: Non est providentia: ne forte iratus Deus contra sermones tuos dissipet cuncta opera manuum tuarum.[fn]
(Don’t you_give mouth your(sg) as to_sin do the_flesh your(sg), nor say before messenger/angel: Not/No it_is providence: not perhaps angry God on_the_contrary conversations yours dissipate everything works hands of_yours(pl).)

5.5 Ne dederis os tuum. Quasi ne dicas te ex infirmitate carnis tuæ peccare, tanquam reflectens culpam in auctorem. Coram angelo. Qui astat unicuique, et omnia Deo nuntiat: ne putes omnia latere Deum.

5.5 Don’t you_give mouth your(sg). As_if not say you(sg) from weakness of_flesh yours to_sin, as_if bending_back guilt in/into/on author. My_face/personally messenger/angel. Who stands to_each_one, and everything to_God announces: not you_think everything on_the_side God.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אֶת פִּ֨י⁠ךָ֙

DOM mouth_of,your

See how you translated the similar expression in [5:2](../05/02.md).

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

אֶת בְּשָׂרֶ֔⁠ךָ

DOM DOM flesh_of,your

Solomon is using your flesh to represent the whole person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression from your culture or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [your whole self]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

לִ⁠פְנֵ֣י הַ⁠מַּלְאָ֔ךְ

to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before the,messenger

Here, to the face of represents being in the presence of the messenger. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [in the presence of the messenger]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

לָ֣⁠מָּה יִקְצֹ֤ף הָֽ⁠אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל קוֹלֶ֔⁠ךָ וְ⁠חִבֵּ֖ל אֶת מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽי⁠ךָ

to/for=what angry the=ʼElohīm on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in voice_of,your and,he_will_ruin DOM work_of your_two's_hands_of,your

Solomon is using the question form to warn about the consequences of failing to keep vows. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [God will be angry concerning your voice and destroy the deed of your hands.]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

קוֹלֶ֔⁠ךָ

voice_of,your

Here, your voice represents “what you say.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [what you say]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

אֶת מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽי⁠ךָ

DOM DOM DOM work_of your_two's_hands_of,your

Here, the deed of your hands represents “what you have accomplished through your work.” If it would be helpful in your language, you could use an equivalent expression or plain language. Alternate translation: [what you have accomplished through your work]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

אֶת מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽי⁠ךָ

DOM DOM DOM work_of your_two's_hands_of,your

Solomon is using this possessive form to mean that the person’s hands produced the deed. It may be helpful to clarify this for your readers. Alternate translation: [the deed that your hands have done]

Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal

אַל תִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת פִּ֨י⁠ךָ֙ לַ⁠חֲטִ֣יא אֶת בְּשָׂרֶ֔⁠ךָ וְ⁠אַל תֹּאמַר֙ לִ⁠פְנֵ֣י הַ⁠מַּלְאָ֔ךְ כִּ֥י שְׁגָגָ֖ה הִ֑יא לָ֣⁠מָּה יִקְצֹ֤ף הָֽ⁠אֱלֹהִים֙ עַל קוֹלֶ֔⁠ךָ וְ⁠חִבֵּ֖ל אֶת מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽי⁠ךָ

not let DOM mouth_of,your to,cause_to_sin DOM flesh_of,your and,do_not say to=(the)_face_of/in_front_of/before the,messenger that/for/because/then/when mistake she/it to/for=what angry the=ʼElohīm on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in voice_of,your and,he_will_ruin DOM work_of your_two's_hands_of,your

Here, to cause marks your flesh to sin as the purpose of giving your mouth. Use a connector in your language that makes it clear that this is the purpose. Alternate translation: [Do not give your mouth so that it causes your flesh to sin, and do not say to the face of the messenger that it was an unintentional sin. Why should God be angry concerning your voice and destroy the deed of your hands?]

Parallel ECC 5:6