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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Ecclesiastes 10: ICB
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Ecclesiastes 10
10
1As dead flies spoil the perfumer’s oil,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2The mind of the wise tends toward the right,
but the mind of the fool toward the left.
3Fools lack all sense even when they walk down the street;
they show everyone that they are fools.
4If a ruler’s temper rises against you,
don’t leave your post, because calmness alleviates great offenses.
5There’s an evil that I have seen under the sun: the kind of mistake that comes from people in power. 6Fools are appointed to high posts, while the rich sit in lowly positions. 7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes walk on foot like slaves.
8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,
and 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 an ax is dull
and one doesn’t sharpen it first,
then one must exert more force.
It’s profitable to be skillful and wise.
11If a snake bites before it’s charmed,
then there’s no profit
for the snake charmer.
12Words from a wise person’s mouth are beneficial,
but fools are devoured by their own lips.
13Fools start out talking foolishness
and end up speaking awful nonsense.
14Fools talk too much!
No one knows what will happen;
no one can say what will happen in the future.
15The hard work of fools tires them out
because they don’t even know the way to town!
16Too bad for you, land,
whose king is a boy
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17Happy is the land
whose king is dignified
and whose princes feast at the right time for energy,
not for drunkenness.
18Through laziness, the roof sags;
through idle hands, the house leaks.
19Feasts are made for laughter,
wine cheers the living,
and money answers everything.#10.19 Or money is everyone's answer.
20Don’t curse a king even in private; don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird could carry your voice; some winged creature could report what you said!
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