Kohelet (Ecc) 10
10
1Just as dead flies make perfumed oil stink,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2A wise man’s heart leads him rightly,
but a fool’s heart leads him astray;
3and when a fool travels, he has no good sense,
thus showing everyone that he is a fool.
4If a ruler gets angry at you, stay at your post,
because calmness soothes great offenses.
5Another evil I have seen under the sun,
the kind of mistake rulers make, is that
6fools are promoted to high positions,
while the rich occupy humble places.
7I have seen servants riding horses,
while princes walk on foot like slaves.
8He who digs a pit may fall into it;
he who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9He who quarries stones may get hurt by them,
he who chops wood puts himself in danger.
10If the [hatchet’s] iron [blade] is blunt,
and [its user] doesn’t sharpen it,
he will have to exert more effort;
but the expert has the advantage of his skill.
11If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the snake-charmer has no advantage.
12The words spoken by the wise bring them favor,
but the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13What he says starts with foolishness
and ends with wicked madness.
14A fool keeps talking and talking,
yet no one knows what the future will bring —
can anyone tell a person
what will happen after he’s gone?
15The efforts of a fool wear him out;
he doesn’t even know the way to town!
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a child,
and your leaders start their parties in the morning!
17Happy are you, land, when your king is well-born,
and your princes eat at the proper time,
in order to stay strong, not to get drunk!
18When the owner is lazy, the roof sags;
when hands are idle, the house leaks.
19Parties are made for having a good time,
wine adds cheer to life,
and money has an answer for everything.
20Don’t insult the king, not even in your thoughts;
and don’t insult the wealthy, not even in your bedroom;
for a bird in the air might carry the news,
a creature with wings might repeat what you said.
Currently Selected:
Kohelet (Ecc) 10: CJB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
For more information and to purchase a hard copy of the Complete Jewish Bible,
Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleEcclesiastes 10
10
1Dead flies can make a whole bottle of perfume stink, and a little stupidity can cancel out the greatest wisdom.
2It is natural for the wise to do the right thing and for fools to do the wrong thing. 3Their stupidity will be evident even to strangers they meet along the way; they let everyone know that they are fools.
4If your ruler becomes angry with you, do not hand in your resignation; serious wrongs may be pardoned if you keep calm.#10.4 keep calm; or submit to him.
5Here is an injustice I have seen in the world — an injustice caused by rulers. 6Stupid people are given positions of authority while the rich are ignored. 7I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.
8 #
Ps 7.15; Prov 26.27 If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you. 9If you work in a stone quarry, you get hurt by stones. If you split wood, you get hurt doing it. 10If your axe is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is more sensible to plan ahead. 11Knowing how to charm a snake is of no use if you let the snake bite first. 12What the wise say brings them honour, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13They start out with silly talk and end up with pure madness. 14A fool talks on and on.
No one knows what is going to happen next, and no one can tell us what will happen after we die.
15Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.
16A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long. 17But a country is fortunate to have a king who makes his own decisions and leaders who eat at the proper time, who control themselves and don't get drunk.
18When someone is too lazy to repair his roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.
19Feasting makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can't have either without money.
20Don't criticize the king, even silently, and don't criticize the rich, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird might carry the message and tell them what you said.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.