KJV King James Version
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.
VERSE STUDY • KJV
Ecclesiastes 5:4
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.
Read it in 5 translations
BSB Berean Standard Bible
When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, because He takes no pleasure in fools. Fulfill your vow.
WEB World English Bible
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.
ASV American Standard Version
When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou vowest.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
When thou vowest a vow to God, delay not to complete it, for there is no pleasure in fools; that which thou vowest—complete.
Surrounding context — Ecclesiastes 5
1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter [any] thing before God: for God [is] in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice [is known] by multitude of words.
4 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.
5 Better [is it] that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 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?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words [there are] also [divers] vanities: but fear thou God.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
כַּאֲשֶׁר֩H834 · a.sherwhichתִּדֹּ֨רH5087 · na.darto vowנֶ֜דֶרH5088 · ne.dervowלֵֽאלֹהִ֗יםH430 · e.lo.himGodאַל־H408 · alnotתְּאַחֵר֙H309 · a.charto delayלְשַׁלְּמ֔וֹH7999 · sa.lemto completeכִּ֛יH3588 · kiforאֵ֥יןH369 · a.yinnothingחֵ֖פֶץH2656 · che.phetspleasureבַּכְּסִילִ֑יםH3684 · ke.silfoolאֵ֥תH853 · et[Obj.]אֲשֶׁר־H834 · a.sherwhichתִּדֹּ֖רH5087 · na.darto vowשַׁלֵּֽם׃H7999 · sa.lemto complete
Cross-references
Numbers 30:2If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.Deuteronomy 23:21-23When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.Psalm 76:11Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God: let all that be round about him bring presents unto him that ought to be feared.Matthew 5:33Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:Psalm 66:13-14I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,Psalm 50:14Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:Psalm 119:106I have sworn, and I will perform [it], that I will keep thy righteous judgments.Psalm 147:10-11He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.Psalm 116:14I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.Hebrews 10:6In burnt offerings and [sacrifices] for sin thou hast had no pleasure.Malachi 1:10Who [is there] even among you that would shut the doors [for nought]? neither do ye kindle [fire] on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.Genesis 28:20And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,Jonah 2:9But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD.Psalm 116:16-18O LORD, truly I [am] thy servant; I [am] thy servant, [and] the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.Genesis 35:1And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.Isaiah 19:21And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform [it].Genesis 35:3And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
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