Ecclesiastes 10

1Dead flies corrupt and spoil the perfumer’s oil;

more weighty than wisdom or wealth is a little folly!#Dead flies…a little folly: wisdom is vulnerable to even the smallest amount of folly. The collection of proverbs and sayings in chaps. 10 and 11 demonstrates the author’s sharp insight and strengthens his credentials as a sage. It thus adds weight to his critique of the wisdom tradition’s tendencies to self-assurance and naive optimism.

2The wise heart turns to the right;

the foolish heart to the left.#Right…left: the right hand is identified with power, moral goodness, favor; the left hand with ineptness and bad luck.

3Even when walking in the street the fool, lacking understanding, calls everyone a fool.#Calls everyone a fool: or, “tells everyone that he (himself) is a fool.”

4Should the anger of a ruler burst upon you, do not yield your place; for calmness#Calmness: a frequent motif of wisdom; silence and reserve characterize the wise, while boisterousness and impetuosity identify the fool. abates great offenses.

5I have seen under the sun another evil, like a mistake that proceeds from a tyrant: 6a fool put in high position, while the great and the rich sit in lowly places. 7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes#A fool…the rich…slaves…princes: another wisdom motif: astonishment at the reversal of the usual order in the world and in human affairs. went on foot like slaves.

8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,#Prv 26:27; Ps 7:16; Sir 27:29.

and whoever breaks through a wall, a snake may bite.

9Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them,

and whoever chops wood#A pit…a wall…stones…wood: popular sayings reflecting the need for caution and alertness against the unexpected. Snakes could find a home in the stone walls of ancient Palestine; cf. Am 5:19. is in danger from it.

10If the ax becomes dull, and the blade is not sharpened, then effort must be increased. But the advantage of wisdom is success.

11If the snake bites before it is charmed,

then there is no advantage in a charmer.#Ax…success…snake…charmer: possession of the proper skill (a form of “wisdom”) can ensure success, as in the case of a sharpened ax; but one must use it before it is too late (v. 11). Cf. Sir 12:13.

12Words from the mouth of the wise win favor,

but the lips of fools consume them.

13#Eccl 5:2; 6:11. The beginning of their words is folly,

and the end of their talk is utter madness;

14yet fools multiply words.

No one knows what is to come,

for who can tell anyone what will be?#Eccl 3:22; 6:12; 10:14.

15The toil of fools wearies them,

so they do not know even the way to town.

No One Knows What Evil Will Come

16Woe to you, O land, whose king is a youth,#A youth: thus too young and inexperienced to govern effectively. Feast in the morning: either concluding a whole night of revelry or beginning a new round of merrymaking.

and whose princes feast in the morning!

17Happy are you, O land, whose king is of noble birth,

and whose princes dine at the right time—

for vigor#For vigor: or, “with self-control, restraint.” and not in drinking bouts.

18Because of laziness, the rafters sag;

when hands are slack, the house leaks.

19A feast is made for merriment

and wine gives joy to the living,

but money answers#Money answers: a stark reminder that such a life requires money. It could also be an affirmation of the power of wealth: “Money conquers all.” for everything.

20Even in your thoughts do not curse the king,

nor in the privacy of your bedroom curse the rich;

For the birds of the air may carry your voice,

a winged creature#Birds of the air…winged creature: a common motif in ancient literature, and a vivid reminder of the need for caution in dealing with the rich and powerful. may tell what you say.

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Ecclesiastes 10: NABRE

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Ecclesiastes 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.

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