Ecclesiastes 10
10
1 Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odour;
so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
but a fool’s heart at his left. 3Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 4If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offences to rest.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler. 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. 7I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth. 8He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it. 10If the axe is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue. 12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips. 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14A fool also multiplies words.
Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him? 15The labour of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a child,
and your princes eat in the morning!
17Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles,
and your princes eat in due season,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 By slothfulness the roof sinks in;
and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes the life glad;
and money is the answer for all things.
20Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts;
and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry your voice,
and that which has wings may tell the matter.
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Ecclesiastes 10
10
1Dead flies in perfume make it stink,
And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.
2Wise thinking leads to right living;
Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.
3Fools on the road have no sense of direction.
The way they walk tells the story: “There goes the fool again!”
4If a ruler loses his temper against you, don’t panic;
A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.
* * *
5-7Here’s a piece of bad business I’ve seen on this earth,
An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:
Immaturity is given a place of prominence,
While maturity is made to take a backseat.
I’ve seen unproven upstarts riding in style,
While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.
* * *
8Caution: The trap you set might catch you.
Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.
9Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous.
Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.
10Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work;
Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.
11If the snake bites before it’s been charmed,
What’s the point in then sending for the charmer?
* * *
12-13The words of a wise person are gracious.
The talk of a fool self-destructs—
He starts out talking nonsense
And ends up spouting insanity and evil.
14Fools talk way too much,
Chattering stuff they know nothing about.
15A decent day’s work so fatigues fools
That they can’t find their way back to town.
* * *
16-17Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup,
And whose princes party all night.
Lucky the land whose king is mature,
Where the princes behave themselves
And don’t drink themselves silly.
* * *
18A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack;
A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.
19Laughter and bread go together,
And wine gives sparkle to life—
But it’s money that makes the world go around.
20Don’t bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath,
And don’t abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home.
Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around.
Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.