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
The Burden of Folly
1Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;#Ex 30:25
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2A wise person’s heart goes to the#10:2 Lit his right,
but a fool’s heart to the left.
3Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,
and he shows everyone he is a fool.#Pr 13:16; 18:2
4If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your post,#Ec 8:3
for calmness puts great offenses to rest.#1Sm 25:24–33; Pr 25:15
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, an error proceeding from the presence of the ruler:
6The fool is appointed to great heights,#Est 3:1; Pr 28:12; 29:2
but the rich remain in lowly positions.
7I have seen slaves on horses,#Pr 19:10
but princes walking on the ground like slaves.#Est 6:8–10
8The one who digs a pit may fall into it,#Ps 7:15
and the one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.#Am 5:19
9The one who quarries stones may be hurt by them;
the one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10If the ax is dull, and one does not sharpen its edge,
then one must exert more strength;
however, the advantage of wisdom is that it brings success.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed,#Jr 8:17
then there is no advantage for the charmer.#10:11 Lit master of the tongue
12The words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious,#Pr 10:32; 22:11; Lk 4:22
but the lips of a fool consume him.#Pr 18:7
13The beginning of the words from his mouth is folly,
but the end of his speaking is evil madness;
14yet the fool multiplies words.
No one knows what will happen,
and who can tell anyone what will happen after him?#Ec 8:7,17
15The struggles of fools weary them,
for they don’t know how to go to the city.
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a youth#Pr 30:21–22; Is 3:4,12
and your princes feast in the morning.
17Blessed are you, land, when your king is a son of nobles
and your princes feast at the proper time —
for strength and not for drunkenness.#Pr 31:4; Is 5:11
18Because of laziness the roof caves in,
and because of negligent hands the house leaks.
19A feast is prepared for laughter,
and wine makes life happy,#Ps 104:15
and money#10:19 Lit silver is the answer for everything.#Ec 7:12
20Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,#Ex 22:28
and do not curse a rich person even in your bedroom,#2Kg 6:12; Lk 12:3
for a bird of the sky may carry the message,
and a winged creature may report the matter.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers