12 (A)Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a (B)fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [a]his talking is foolishness, and the end of [b]it is evil (C)insanity. 14 Yet the (D)fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him (E)what will come after him? 15 The labor of [c]a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, land whose (F)king is a boy, and whose princes [d]feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for (G)drunkenness. 18 Through (H)extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. 19 People prepare a meal for enjoyment, (I)wine makes life joyful, and (J)money [e]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (K)in your bedroom do not (L)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit the words of his mouth
  2. Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit his mouth
  3. Ecclesiastes 10:15 Lit fools make
  4. Ecclesiastes 10:16 Lit eat
  5. Ecclesiastes 10:19 Lit answers all

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