Ecclesiastes 10
10
1Dead flies 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.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.
3Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
#Prov. 13:16; 18:2And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
4If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
#Eccl. 8:3Do not leave your post;
For #1 Sam. 25:24–33; Prov. 25:15conciliation pacifies great offenses.
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6#Esth. 3:1Folly is set in great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.
7I have seen servants #Prov. 19:10; 30:22on horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.
8#Ps. 7:15; Prov. 26:27He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
9He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
10If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom brings success.
11A serpent may bite #Ps. 58:4, 5; Jer. 8:17when it is not charmed;
The babbler is no different.
12#Prov. 10:32; Luke 4:22The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But #Prov. 10:14; Eccl. 4:5the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
13The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.
14#(Prov. 15:2); Eccl. 5:3A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him #Eccl. 3:22; 8:7what will be after him?
15The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!
16#Is. 3:4, 5; 5:11Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!
17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your #Prov. 31:4; Is. 5:11princes feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
18Because of laziness the building decays,
And #Prov. 24:30–34through idleness of hands the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter,
And #Judg. 9:13; Ps. 104:15; Eccl. 2:3wine makes merry;
But money answers everything.
20#Ex. 22:28; Acts 23:5Do 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.
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Ecclesiastes 10: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 10
10
1As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone how stupid they are.
4If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;
calmness can lay great offenses to rest.
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6Fools are put in many high positions,
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.
8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee.
12Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,
but fools are consumed by their own lips.
13At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14and fools multiply words.
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
15The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16Woe to the land whose king was a servant#10:16 Or king is a child
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.
18Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter,
wine makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
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