Line by Line - Verse 63, Line 12

He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Easy promises make for little trust.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

One who makes promises lightly must deserve little trust
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Don't promise more than you can deliver,
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Ron Hogan puts this line in a context most of us understand all too clearly!

When we cavalierly promise this or that and we don't come through, it shatters trust. When trust is shattered, it can be hard to win it back.

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