Ecclesiastes 10
New King James Version
Wisdom and Folly
10 Dead[a] flies [b]putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.
3 Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
(A)And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
(B)Do not leave your post;
For (C)conciliation[c] pacifies great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6 (D)Folly is set in [d]great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.
7 I have seen servants (E)on horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.
8 (F)He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10 If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom [e]brings success.
11 A serpent may bite (G)when it is not charmed;
The [f]babbler is no different.
12 (H)The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But (I)the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.
14 (J)A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him (K)what will be after him?
15 The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!
16 (L)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 (M)princes feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
18 Because of laziness the [g]building decays,
And (N)through idleness of hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
And (O)wine makes merry;
But money answers everything.
20 (P)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.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Lit. Flies of death
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 Tg., Vg. omit putrefy
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Lit. healing, health
- Ecclesiastes 10:6 exalted positions
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit. is a successful advantage
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit. master of the tongue
- Ecclesiastes 10:18 Lit. rafters sink
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
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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