Ecclesiastes 10
10
1A few dead flies in perfume
make all of it stink,
and a little foolishness
outweighs a lot of wisdom.
2Sensible thoughts lead you
to do right;
foolish thoughts lead you
to do wrong.
3Fools show their stupidity
by the way they live;
it's easy to see
they have no sense.
4Don't give up your job
when your boss gets angry.
If you stay calm,
you'll be forgiven.
5Rulers do some things that are terribly unfair: 6They honor fools, but dishonor the rich; 7they let slaves ride on horses, but force slave owners to walk.
8 #
Ps 7.15; Pr 26.27; Si 27.26,27. If you dig a pit,
you might fall in;
if you break down a wall,
a snake might bite you.#10.8 a snake might bite you: Walls of houses were often made of stones with mud to fill in the cracks between them. If some of the mud washed out, a snake could be living inside the wall.
9You could even get hurt
by chiseling a stone
or chopping a log.
10If you don't sharpen your ax,
it will be harder to use;
if you are wise,
you'll know what to do.#10.10 do: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 10.
11The power to charm a snake
does you no good
if it bites you anyway.
12If you talk sensibly,
you will have friends;
if you talk foolishly,
you will destroy yourself.
13Fools begin with nonsense,
and their stupid chatter
ends with disaster.
14They never tire of talking,
but none of us really know
what the future will bring.
15Fools wear themselves out—
they don't know enough
to find their way home.#10.15 home: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 15.
16A country is in for trouble
when its ruler is childish,
and its leaders
party all day long.
17But a nation will prosper
when its ruler is mature,
and its leaders
don't party too much.
18Some people are too lazy
to fix a leaky roof—
then the house collapses.
19Eating and drinking
make you feel happy,
and money can buy
everything you need.
20Don't let yourself think about
cursing the king;
don't curse the rich,
not even in secret.
A little bird might hear
and tell everything.
Currently Selected:
Ecclesiastes 10: CEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 10
10
1As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone how stupid they are.
4If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;
calmness can lay great offenses to rest.
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6Fools are put in many high positions,
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.
8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;
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 the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee.
12Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,
but fools are consumed by their own lips.
13At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14and fools multiply words.
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
15The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16Woe to the land whose king was a servant#10:16 Or king is a child
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness.
18Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter,
wine makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird in the sky may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.