Ecclesiastes 10
10
1Dead flies will make even perfume smell bad.
In the same way, a little foolishness can ruin
a wise man’s fame for wisdom.
2A wise man’s heart leads him in the right way.
But the heart of a foolish person leads him in the wrong way.
3A foolish person is not wise.
It shows in everything he does.
Even as he walks along the road,
he shows everyone how stupid he is.
4Don’t leave your job
just because the ruler is angry with you.
Remain calm.
It will help correct your mistakes.
5Here is something else unfair that happens here on earth.
It is the kind of mistake rulers make:
6Foolish people are given important positions
while rich people are given less important ones.
7I have seen servants ride on horses
while princes walk beside them on foot.
8Anyone who digs a pit might fall into it.
Anyone who knocks down a wall might be bitten by a snake.
9Anyone who moves large stones might be hurt by them.
And anyone who cuts logs might get hurt while doing it.
10Cutting logs with a dull ax
makes you work harder.
A wise man will sharpen his ax.
In the same way, wisdom can make any job easier.
11Someone might know how to control snakes.
But what good is such wisdom if the snake has already bitten him?
12A wise man’s words bring him praise.
But a foolish person’s words will destroy him.
13A foolish person begins by saying something foolish.
In the end he is saying even crazier things.
14A foolish person talks too much about what he will do.
No one knows the future.
No one can tell him what will happen after he dies.
15A foolish person doesn’t know even the most obvious things.
He can’t even find his way back to town.
So he has to wear himself out working.
The Value of Work
16How terrible it will be for a country
if its king is a child.
How terrible it will be for that country
if its leaders have parties all the time.
17A country is well off
if its king comes from a good family.
It is good for a country
if its leaders control their eating and drinking.
They should eat and drink for strength,
not to get drunk.
18If a person is lazy and doesn’t repair the roof,
it will begin to fall.
If he refuses to fix it,
the house will leak.
19A party makes you feel good.
And wine makes you feel happy.
But both cost you a lot of money.
20Don’t say or think bad things about the king.
And don’t say bad things about rich people even alone in your bedroom.
A little bird might report it to others.
A bird might fly to them and tell all you said.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Ecclesiastes 10
10
1Dead flies cause the perfumer’s ointment to give off a stench;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2The heart of the wise moves him to the right for protection,
but the heart of a fool to the left for vulnerability.
3Even when a fool walks along the road,
his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone that he is a fool. # Pr 13:16; 18:2
4If the angry spirit of the ruler rises against you,
do not leave your position,
for calmness pacifies great offenses. # Pr 25:15; Ecc 8:3
5There is an evil that I have observed under the sun,
as an error proceeding from the ruler:
6the fool is present in many high places of position,
but the rich sit in the low places.
7I have observed slaves on horses,
and officials walking on the ground like slaves. # Pr 19:10; 30:22
8The one who digs a pit will fall into it, # Pr 26:27
and the one who breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. # Am 5:19
9The one who quarries stones will be hurt by them,
and the one who splits wood will be endangered by it.
10If the iron is blunt,
and one does not sharpen the edge,
then he must use more strength;
but wisdom is profitable to succeed.
11If a serpent bites before it is charmed,
there is no advantage to the charmer. # Ps 58:4–5; Jer 8:17
12The words from the mouth of a wise person bring favor, # Lk 4:22
but the lips of a fool consume him. # Pr 15:2
13The beginning of the words from his mouth are folly;
so the end of his words are evil madness.
14A fool increases his words.
No one knows what is to come;
who can tell him what will come after him? # Ecc 3:22
15The toil of fools wearies them,
for they do not even know the way to the city!
16Woe to you, O land, when your king is a lad,
and your princes feast in the morning! # 2Ch 13:7; Isa 3:12
17Happy are you, O land, when your king is from nobility,
and your princes feast at the proper time,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18By slothfulness the rafters cave in,
and by the idleness of one’s hands the house drips. # Pr 20:4
19A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes merry, # Ps 104:15
but money resolves everything.
20Do not curse the king, even in your mind; # Ex 22:28; Ac 23:5
do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
for a bird of the air will carry your voice,
and a winged creature will declare the matter.
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
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