Ecclesiastes 10
American Standard Version
10 Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer [a]to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly [b]outweigh wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. 3 Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his [c]understanding faileth him, and he saith [d]to every one that he is a fool. 4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for [e]gentleness allayeth great offences. 5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler: 6 folly is set in great [f]dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking like servants upon the earth. 8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him. 9 Whoso [g]heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby. 10 If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. 11 [h]If the serpent bite [i]before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in [j]the charmer. 12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of [k]his talk is mischievous madness. 14 A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city. 16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a [l]child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17 Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is [m]the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18 By slothfulness the [n]roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh. 19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things. 20 Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Or, to stink and putrefy
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Or, him that is valued for wisdom
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Hebrew heart.
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Or, of
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Or, calmness leaveth great sins undone
- Ecclesiastes 10:6 Hebrew heights.
- Ecclesiastes 10:9 Or, moveth stones
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Or, Surely the serpent will bite where there is no enchantment; and the slanderer is no better
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Hebrew without enchantment.
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Hebrew the master of the tongue.
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Hebrew his mouth.
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or, servant
- Ecclesiastes 10:17 Or, a free man
- Ecclesiastes 10:18 Or, rafters sink
Ecclesiastes 10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Burden of Folly
10 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;(A)
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man’s heart goes to the[a] right,
but a fool’s heart to the[b] left.
3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.(B)
4 If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your place,(C)
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.(D)
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
6 The fool is appointed to great heights,(E)
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7 I have seen slaves on horses,(F)
but princes walking on the ground like slaves.(G)
8 The one who digs a pit may fall into it,(H)
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.(I)
9 The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits trees may be endangered by them.
10 If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,(J)
then there is no advantage for the charmer.[c]
12 The words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious,(K)
but the lips of a fool consume him.(L)
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness.
14 Yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?(M)
15 The struggles of fools weary them,
for they don’t know how to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth(N)
and your princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, land, when your king is a son of nobles
and your princes feast at the proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.(O)
18 Because of laziness the roof caves in,
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is prepared for laughter,
and wine makes life happy,(P)
and money is the answer for everything.(Q)
20 Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,(R)
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,(S)
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:2 Lit his
- Ecclesiastes 10:2 Lit his
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit master of the tongue
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