A Little Foolishness
10 Dead flies make a (A)perfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish (B)man’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [a]sense is lacking and he [b](C)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [c]temper rises against you, (D)do not abandon your position, because (E)composure allays great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— 6 (F)folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen (G)slaves riding (H)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 (I)He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a (J)serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [d]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must [e]exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites [f](K)before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a (M)fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [g]his talking is folly and the end of [h]it is wicked (N)madness. 14 Yet the (O)fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him (P)what will come after him? 15 The toil of [i]a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, O land, whose (Q)king is a lad and whose princes [j]feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for (R)drunkenness. 18 Through (S)indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. 19 Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and (T)wine makes life merry, and (U)money [k]is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, (V)in your bedchamber do not (W)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Lit heart
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 Lit says
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 Lit spirit
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit iron
- Ecclesiastes 10:10 Lit strengthen
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 Lit without enchantment
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit the words of his mouth
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 Lit his mouth
- Ecclesiastes 10:15 Lit fools
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Lit eat
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 Lit answers all
Cross references
- Ecclesiastes 10:1 : Ex 30:25
- Ecclesiastes 10:2 : Matt 6:33; Col 3:1
- Ecclesiastes 10:3 : Prov 13:16; 18:2
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 : Eccl 8:3
- Ecclesiastes 10:4 : 1 Sam 25:24-33; Prov 25:15
- Ecclesiastes 10:6 : Esth 3:1, 5f; Prov 28:12; 29:2
- Ecclesiastes 10:7 : Prov 19:10
- Ecclesiastes 10:7 : Esth 6:8-10
- Ecclesiastes 10:8 : Ps 7:15; Prov 26:27
- Ecclesiastes 10:8 : Amos 5:19
- Ecclesiastes 10:11 : Ps 58:4, 5; Jer 8:17
- Ecclesiastes 10:12 : Prov 10:32; 22:11; Luke 4:22
- Ecclesiastes 10:12 : Prov 10:14; 18:7; Eccl 4:5
- Ecclesiastes 10:13 : Eccl 7:25
- Ecclesiastes 10:14 : Prov 15:2; Eccl 5:3
- Ecclesiastes 10:14 : Eccl 3:22; 6:12; 7:14; 8:7
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 : Is 3:4, 12
- Ecclesiastes 10:17 : Prov 31:4; Is 5:11
- Ecclesiastes 10:18 : Prov 24:30-34
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 : Judg 9:13; Ps 104:15; Eccl 2:3
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 : Eccl 7:12
- Ecclesiastes 10:20 : 2 Kin 6:12; Luke 12:3
- Ecclesiastes 10:20 : Ex 22:28; Acts 23:5