Ecclesiastes 10
10
1Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink and ferment; so a little folly is weightier than wisdom and honour. 2The heart of a wise man is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. 3Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his sense faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for quietness pacifieth great offences. 5There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as an error that proceedeth from the ruler: 6folly is set in great dignities, but the rich sit in a low place. 7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. 8He that diggeth a pit falleth into it; and whoso breaketh down a hedge, a serpent biteth him. 9Whoso removeth stones is hurt therewith; he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby. 10If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he apply more strength; but wisdom is profitable to give success. 11If the serpent bite before enchantment, then the charmer hath no advantage.
12The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool swallow up himself. 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14And the fool multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will tell him? 15The labour of fools wearieth them, because they know not how to go to the city.
16Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning! 17Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! 18By much sloth fulness the framework falleth in; and through idleness of the hands the house drippeth. 19A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh life merry; but money answereth everything. 20Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for the bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings will tell the matter.
Currently Selected:
Ecclesiastes 10: DARBY
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.