Ecclesiastes 10
10
1 Dead flies cause a bad smell and ruin#Or “spew” the ointment of the perfumer.
So also a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2The heart of the wise inclines to his right,
but the heart of the fool inclines to his left.
3Even when the fool walks along the road, he lacks sense;
he tells everyone that he is a fool.
4If the anger of the ruler rises against you,
do not leave your post,
for calmness can undo great offenses.
5There is an evil I have seen under the sun—
it is an error that proceeds from a ruler!
6The fool is set in many high places,
but the rich sit in lowly places.
7I have even seen slaves riding on horses
and princes walking like slaves on the earth!
Accidents Happen—Even to Professionals
8Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.
Whoever breaks through a wall, a snake will bite him.
9Whoever quarries#Literally “breaks out” stones will be wounded by them.
Whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.
Hard Work and Skill Alone Cannot Succeed—Wisdom is Necessary
10If the ax is blunt but one does not sharpen its edge,
he must exert more effort,#Literally “he must be more strength”
but the advantage of wisdom is it brings success.
11If the snake bites before the charming,
the snake charmer will not succeed.#Literally “there is no advantage to the owner of the charm”
The Consequences of Foolishness
12The wise man wins favor by the words of his mouth,
but the fool is devoured by his own lips.
13He begins by saying what is foolish
and ends by uttering what is wicked delusion.
14The fool talks too much,#Literally “increases words”
for no one knows what will be.
Who can tell anyone what will happen in the future?#Literally “after him”
15The fool is so worn out by a hard day’s work
he cannot even find his way home at night.#Or “for he knows not to go to a city”
16Woe to you, O land, when your king is a youth
and your princes feast in the morning.
17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobility
and your princes feast at the proper time—
to gain strength and not to get drunk.
18Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through idleness of hands the house leaks.
19Feasts are held for celebration,#Literally “They make bread for laughter”
wine cheers the living,
and money answers everything.
20Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,
and do not curse the rich even in your own bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry your voice;
a winged messenger may repeat your words.
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Ecclesiastes 10: LEB
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Ecclesiastes 10
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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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.