Ecclesiastes 10
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Miscellaneous Observations
10 Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a foul odor;
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of a fool to the left.
3 Even when fools walk on the road, they lack sense,
and show to everyone that they are fools.
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post,
for calmness will undo great offenses.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as great an error as if it proceeded from the ruler: 6 folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. 7 I have seen slaves on horseback, and princes walking on foot like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
and whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever quarries stones will be hurt by them;
and whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.
10 If the iron is blunt, and one does not whet the edge,
then more strength must be exerted;
but wisdom helps one to succeed.
11 If the snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no advantage in a charmer.
12 Words spoken by the wise bring them favor,
but the lips of fools consume them.
13 The words of their mouths begin in foolishness,
and their talk ends in wicked madness;
14 yet fools talk on and on.
No one knows what is to happen,
and who can tell anyone what the future holds?
15 The toil of fools wears them out,
for they do not even know the way to town.
16 Alas for you, O land, when your king is a servant,[a]
and your princes feast in the morning!
17 Happy are you, O land, when your king is a nobleman,
and your princes feast at the proper time—
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 Through sloth the roof sinks in,
and through indolence the house leaks.
19 Feasts are made for laughter;
wine gladdens life,
and money meets every need.
20 Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
for a bird of the air may carry your voice,
or some winged creature tell the matter.
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:16 Or a child
Ecclesiastes 10
Common English Bible
10 As dead flies spoil the perfumer’s oil,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The mind of the wise tends toward the right,
but the mind of the fool toward the left.
3 Fools lack all sense even when they walk down the street;
they show everyone that they are fools.
4 If a ruler’s temper rises against you,
don’t leave your post, because calmness alleviates great offenses.
5 There’s an evil that I have seen under the sun: the kind of mistake that comes from people in power. 6 Fools are appointed to high posts, while the rich sit in lowly positions. 7 I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes walk on foot like slaves.
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,
and whoever breaks through a wall
may be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs
may be endangered by them.
10 If an ax is dull
and one doesn’t sharpen it first,
then one must exert more force.
It’s profitable to be skillful and wise.
11 If a snake bites before it’s charmed,
then there’s no profit
for the snake charmer.
12 Words from a wise person’s mouth are beneficial,
but fools are devoured by their own lips.
13 Fools start out talking foolishness
and end up speaking awful nonsense.
14 Fools talk too much!
No one knows what will happen;
no one can say what will happen in the future.
15 The hard work of fools tires them out
because they don’t even know the way to town!
16 Too bad for you, land,
whose king is a boy
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Happy is the land
whose king is dignified
and whose princes feast at the right time for energy,
not for drunkenness.
18 Through laziness, the roof sags;
through idle hands, the house leaks.
19 Feasts are made for laughter,
wine cheers the living,
and money answers everything.[a]
20 Don’t curse a king even in private; don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird could carry your voice; some winged creature could report what you said!
Footnotes
- Ecclesiastes 10:19 Or money is everyone's answer.
Ecclesiastes 10
Authorized (King James) Version
10 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour:
so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand;
but a fool’s heart at his left.
3 Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him,
and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place;
for yielding pacifieth great offences.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,
as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
6 folly is set in great dignity,
and the rich sit in low place.
7 I have seen servants upon horses,
and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it;
and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith;
and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge,
then must he put to more strength:
but wisdom is profitable to direct.
11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment;
and a babbler is no better.
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious;
but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness:
and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 A fool also is full of words:
a man cannot tell what shall be;
and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them,
because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child,
and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles,
and thy princes eat in due season,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth;
and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry:
but money answereth all things.
20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought;
and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber:
for a bird of the air shall carry the voice,
and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.