Ecclesiastes 10

Evangelical Heritage Version

10 Dead flies make perfumed oil ferment and stink, just as a little stupidity outweighs wisdom and honor.

² A wise man’s heart heads right, but a fool’s heart heads left.

³ Even when a fool is walking down the road, he does not know where he is going, and he advertises to everyone that he is a fool.

⁴ If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not abandon your post, because keeping calm puts serious sins to rest.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun. What a mistake rulers make! ⁶ Stupidity is placed in many high places, but the rich are seated in low positions. ⁷ I have seen slaves on horses, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.

⁸ A person who digs a pit might fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall might be bitten by a snake.

⁹ A person who quarries stones may be hurt by them. Someone who splits logs may be endangered by them.

¹⁰ If the ax is dull and no one sharpens its edge, the person chopping must apply more strength, but an advantage of wisdom is that it gives success.

¹¹ If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to having a charmer.^[a]

¹² Words from a wise man’s mouth bring favor, but a fool’s lips swallow him up.

¹³ The fool starts out by saying stupid things, but he ends up speaking wicked madness. ¹⁴ The fool multiplies words.

No one knows what will be in the future, and who can tell him what will come after him?

¹⁵ The hard work of fools wears them out so much that they no longer know their way to town.^[b]

¹⁶ How unfortunate you are, O land, when your king once was a servant,^[c] and your officials overeat in the morning. ¹⁷ How blessed you are, O land, when your king is a son of nobles, and your officials eat at the right time—to get stronger, not to get drunk.

¹⁸ Because of laziness, roof beams sag. Because of idle hands, the house leaks.

¹⁹ Food is made for pleasure. Wine makes life happy, but money is the answer for everything.

²⁰ Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, and do not curse a rich person in your bedroom, for a bird in the skies might carry your voice, or a bird in flight might reveal the matter.