ECCLESIASTES
CHAPTER 10

¹ As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
² The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
³ Even as he walks along the road,
the fool lacks sense
and shows everyone how stupid he is.
⁴ If a ruler's anger rises against you,
do not leave your post;
calmness can lay great errors to rest.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
⁶ Fools are put in many high positions,
while the rich occupy the low ones.
⁷ I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves.

⁸ Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;
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 the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed
but skill will bring success.

¹¹ If a snake bites before it is charmed,
there is no profit for the charmer.

¹² Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious,
but a fool is consumed by his own lips.
¹³ At the beginning his words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness-
¹⁴ and the fool multiplies words.

No one knows what is coming-
who can tell him what will happen after him?

¹⁵ A fool's work wearies him;
he does not know the way to town.

¹⁶ Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant ^[1]
and whose princes feast in the morning.
¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time-
for strength and not for drunkenness.

¹⁸ If a man is lazy, the rafters sag;
if his hands are idle, the house leaks.

¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes life merry,
but money is the answer for everything.

²⁰ Do not revile the king even in your thoughts,
or curse the rich in your bedroom,
because a bird of the air may carry your words,
and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

Footnotes

1. 10:16 Or king is a child

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Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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