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
Wisdom and Folly
1Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2The heart of the wise is to his right, and the heart of the fool is to his left.
3Even as the fool walks along the way, his heart lacks sense and tells everyone what a fool he is.
4If a ruler’s spirit rises up against you, do not leave your post, for composure allays great offences.
5There is a wrong I have seen under the sun like an error proceeding from a ruler.
6Fools are placed in many high positions, while the rich sit in low ones.
7I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves.
8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a fence may be bitten by a snake.
9Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them, and whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10If the iron axe is blunt and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must exert more force. So wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
12Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but the lips of a fool destroy him.
13The words from his mouth begin as folly and end as grievous madness—
14and the fool multiplies words. No one knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will happen after him?
15The mischief of fools wearies them for he doesn’t know how to go to town.
16Oy to you, O land, when your king is a youth and your princes feast in the morning.
17Happy are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobles, and your princes eat at the proper time— in self-control and not in drunkenness!
18By laziness the rafters sag, and by idle hands the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life glad— but money is the answer for everything.
20Do not ridicule the king— even in your thoughts, nor curse the rich in your bedroom. For a bird of the air may carry your voice, and a winged creature may report your words.
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