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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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.
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