11 If the serpent bites before it is (A)charmed,
    there is no advantage to the charmer.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth (B)win him favor,[a]
    but (C)the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness,
    and the end of his talk is evil madness.
14 (D)A fool multiplies words,
    though no man knows what is to be,
    and who can tell him (E)what will be after him?
15 The toil of a fool wearies him,
    for he does not know (F)the way to the city.

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 10:12 Or are gracious

11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
    the charmer receives no fee.(A)

12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,(B)
    but fools are consumed by their own lips.(C)
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
    at the end they are wicked madness—
14     and fools multiply words.(D)

No one knows what is coming—
    who can tell someone else what will happen after them?(E)

15 The toil of fools wearies them;
    they do not know the way to town.

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