Ecclesiastes 10:16-20

New King James Version

^16 (A)Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!
¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your ^(B)princes feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
¹⁸ Because of laziness the ^[a]building decays,
And ^(C)through idleness of hands the house leaks.
¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter,
And ^(D)wine makes merry;
But money answers everything.

^20 (E)Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.