Ecclesiastes 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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Ecclesiastes 10: CSB

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Ecclesiastes 10

1Dead flies can make a whole bottle of perfume stink, and a little stupidity can cancel out the greatest wisdom.

2It is natural for the wise to do the right thing and for fools to do the wrong thing. 3Their stupidity will be evident even to strangers they meet along the way; they let everyone know that they are fools.

4If your ruler becomes angry with you, do not hand in your resignation; serious wrongs may be pardoned if you keep calm.#10.4 keep calm; or submit to him.

5Here is an injustice I have seen in the world — an injustice caused by rulers. 6Stupid people are given positions of authority while the rich are ignored. 7I have seen slaves on horseback while noblemen go on foot like slaves.

8 # Ps 7.15; Prov 26.27 If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you. 9If you work in a stone quarry, you get hurt by stones. If you split wood, you get hurt doing it. 10If your axe is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to work harder to use it. It is more sensible to plan ahead. 11Knowing how to charm a snake is of no use if you let the snake bite first. 12What the wise say brings them honour, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13They start out with silly talk and end up with pure madness. 14A fool talks on and on.

No one knows what is going to happen next, and no one can tell us what will happen after we die.

15Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.

16A country is in trouble when its king is a youth and its leaders feast all night long. 17But a country is fortunate to have a king who makes his own decisions and leaders who eat at the proper time, who control themselves and don't get drunk.

18When someone is too lazy to repair his roof, it will leak, and the house will fall in.

19Feasting makes you happy and wine cheers you up, but you can't have either without money.

20Don't criticize the king, even silently, and don't criticize the rich, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird might carry the message and tell them what you said.

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