Ecclesiastes 10
Expanded Bible
10 Dead flies can make even ·perfume [L a perfumer’s oil] stink.
In the same way, a little foolishness ·can spoil [L outweighs] wisdom and ·honor [glory].
2 The heart of the wise ·leads [goes] to ·right [L the right],
but the heart of a fool ·leads [goes] to ·wrong [L the left].
3 Even in the way fools walk along the road,
they ·show they are not wise [lack sense];
they show everyone how ·stupid [foolish] they are [Prov. 12:23; 13:16].
4 Don’t leave your job
just because your ·boss [ruler; leader] is angry with you.
·Remaining calm [Gentleness] ·solves [appeases] great ·problems [offenses].
5 There is something else ·wrong [evil] that happens ·here on earth [L under the sun; 1:3].
It is the kind of ·mistake [error] rulers make:
6 Fools are ·given [placed in] important positions
while ·gifted [L wealthy] people ·are given [L sit in] lower ones;
7 I have seen servants ride horses
while princes walk like servants on ·foot [L on the ground/earth].
8 Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it [Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27];
anyone who ·knocks down [breeches] a wall might be bitten by a snake;
9 anyone who ·moves [quarries] boulders might be ·hurt [injured] by them;
and anyone who ·cuts logs [splits trees] might be ·harmed [endangered] by them.
10 ·A dull ax means harder work [L If the ax is blunt and the edge is not sharp, then he must increase his efforts].
·Being wise will make it easier [L The advantage of wisdom is success].
11 If a snake bites the ·tamer [charmer] before it is ·tamed [charmed],
what good is the ·tamer [charmer]?
12 The words of the wise bring them ·praise [or favor],
but the words of a fool will ·destroy [L swallow] them.
13 A fool begins by saying foolish things
and ends by saying crazy and wicked things.
14 A fool ·talks too much [L multiplies words].
No one knows ·the future [L what will happen],
and ·no one [who…?] can tell what will happen after ·death [L him].
15 ·Work [Toil] wears fools out;
they don’t even know how to get ·home [L to the city].
The Value of Work
16 ·How terrible it is for a [L Woe to you, O] country whose king is ·a child [or immature]
and whose leaders ·eat all [or feast in the] morning [Is. 5:11–12; 21:5].
17 ·How lucky a [L Blessed are you, O] country whose king ·comes from a good family [L is a noble],
whose leaders eat ·only at mealtime [L at the appropriate time]
and for strength, not to get drunk.
18 If someone is lazy, the roof will begin to ·fall [sag].
If he ·doesn’t fix it [L lowers his hands], the house will leak [Prov. 6:6; 26:16].
19 A ·party [feast] makes you ·feel good [laugh],
wine makes you feel ·happy [merry],
and money ·buys anything [L answers everything].
20 Don’t ·make fun of [or curse] the king even in your thoughts,
and don’t ·make fun of [curse] rich people, even in your bedroom.
A little bird might carry your words;
a ·bird might fly and [winged creature might] tell what you said.
Ecclesiastes 10
Amplified Bible
A Little Foolishness
10 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give off a foul odor; so a little foolishness [in one who is esteemed] outweighs wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart turns him toward the right [which is the way of blessing], but a fool’s heart turns him toward the left [which is the way of condemnation].(A) 3 Even when a fool walks along the road, his [common] sense and good judgment fail him and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the temper of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post [showing resistance], because composure and calmness prevent great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceeds from the ruler— 6 folly is set in many exalted places and in great dignity while the rich sit in humble places. 7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the ground.
8 He who digs a pit [for others] may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a [stone] wall.(B) 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt with them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.(C) 10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength; but wisdom [to sharpen the axe] helps him succeed [with less effort]. 11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, then there is no profit for the charmer. 12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious and win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [a]his talking is foolishness and the end of his talk is wicked madness. 14 Yet the fool multiplies words, though no man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after he is gone? 15 The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child and when your [incompetent] officials and princes feast in the morning. 17 Blessed [prosperous and admired] are you, O land, when your king is a man of noble birth, and your princes and officials feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.(D) 18 Through laziness the rafters [of state affairs] decay and the roof sags, and through idleness [the roof of] the house leaks. 19 The officials make a feast for enjoyment [instead of repairing what is broken], and serve wine to make life merry, and money is the answer to everything. 20 Moreover, do not curse the king, even in your bedroom, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry the sound and a winged creature will make the matter known.(E)
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit the words of his mouth.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
