NASB — Ecclesiastes 10 — KJV

A Little Foolishness

1 Dead° flies° make a aperfumer’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° aman’s° heart° [directs him] toward the left°. 3 Even° when° the fool° walks° along the road°, his Isense° is lacking° and he IIademonstrates° to everyone° [that] he is a fool°. 4 If° the ruler’s° Itemper° rises° against° you, ado not abandon° your position°, because° bcomposure° allays° great° offenses°.

[1] aEx 30:25
[2] aMt 6:33; Col 3:1
[3] ILit heart IILit says aPv 13:16; 18:2
[4] ILit spirit aEc 8:3 b1S 25:24-33; Pv 25:15

5 ¶ There° is an evil° I have seen° under° the sun°, like an error° which° goes° forth° from the ruler°6 afolly° is set° in many° exalted° places° while rich° men° sit° in humble° places°. 7 I have seen° aslaves° [riding] bon horses° and princes° walking° like slaves° on the land°.

[6] aEs 3:1, 5f; Pv 28:12; 29:2
[7] aPv 19:10 bEs 6:8-10

8aHe who digs° a pit° may fall° into it, and a bserpent° 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 Iaxe° is dull° and he does not sharpen° [its] edge°, then he must IIexert° more strength°. Wisdom° has the advantage° of giving° success°. 11 If° the serpent° bites° Iabefore being charmed°, there° is no° profit° for the charmer°°. 12 aWords° from the mouth° of a wise° man° are gracious°, while the lips° of a bfool° consume° him; 13 the beginning° of Ihis talking°° is folly° and the end° of IIit is wicked° amadness°. 14 Yet the afool° multiplies° words°. No° man° knows° what° will happen°, and who° can tell° him bwhat° will come° after°° him? 15 The toil° of Ia fool° [so] wearies° him that he does not [even] know° how to go° to a city°. 16 Woe° to you, O land°, whose° aking° is a lad° and whose princes° Ifeast° 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 adrunkenness°. 18 Through aindolence° the rafters° sag°, and through slackness°° the house° leaks°. 19 [Men] prepare° a meal° for enjoyment°, and awine° makes° life° merry°, and bmoney° Iis the answer° to everything°. 20 Furthermore°, ain your bedchamber° do not bcurse° 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°.

[8] aPs 7:15; Pv 26:27 bAm 5:19
[10] ILit iron IILit strengthen
[11] ILit without enchantment aPs 58:4, 5; Jr 8:17
[12] aPv 10:32; 22:11; Lk 4:22 bPv 10:14; 18:7; Ec 4:5
[13] ILit the words of his mouth IILit his mouth aEc 7:25
[14] aPv 15:2; Ec 5:3 bEc 3:22; 6:12; 7:14; 8:7
[15] ILit fools
[16] ILit eat aIs 3:4, 12
[17] aPv 31:4; Is 5:11
[18] aPv 24:30-34
[19] ILit answers all aJg 9:13; Ps 104:15; Ec 2:3 bEc 7:12
[20] a2K 6:12; Lk 12:3 bEx 22:28; Ac 23:5


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Observations of wisdom and folly.

1 ¶ Deadº fliesº cause the ointmentº of the apothecaryºª to send forthºª a stinking savour:ºª [so doth] a littleº follyº him that is in reputationº for wisdomº² [and] honour.º² 2 A wise man'sº heartº [is] at his right hand;º but a fool'sº heartº at his left.º 3 Yea also,² when he that is a foolº² walkethºª by the way,º his wisdomº failethº [him], and he saithºª to every one² [that] he² [is] a fool.º 4 If² the spiritº of the rulerºª rise upºª against² thee, leave¹ª² not² thy place;º for² yieldingº pacifieth¹ª² greatº offences.º 5 There isº an evilº [which] I have seenºª under² the sun,º as an errorº [which] proceedethºª² fromº² the ruler:º 6 Follyº is setºª in greatº dignity,º and the richº sitºª in low place.º 7 I have seenºª servantsº upon² horses,º and princesº walkingºª as servantsº upon² the earth.º 8 He that diggethºª a pitº shall fallºª into it; and whoso breakethºª an hedge,º a serpentº shall biteºª him. 9 Whoso removethºª stonesº shall be hurtºª therewith; [and] he that cleavethºª woodº shall be endangeredºª thereby. 10 If² the ironº be blunt,ºª and he² do not² whetºª the edge,º then must he put¹ª to² more strength:º but wisdomº [is] profitableº to direct.ºª 11 Surely² the serpentº will biteºª without² enchantment;º and a babblerºº is no² better.º 12 The wordsº of a wise man'sº mouthº [are] gracious;º but the lipsº of a foolº will swallow upºª himself. 13 The beginningº of the wordsº of his mouthº [is] foolishness:º and the endº of his talkº [is] mischievousº madness.º 14 A foolº also is fullºª of words:º a manº cannot² tellºª what shall be;²²² and what² shall be² afterº² him, who² can tellºª him? 15 The labourº of the foolishº weariethºª every one of them, because² he knowethºª not² how to go¹ª² to² the city.º

[1] Ex 30:34; 2Ch 19:2; Ne 6:13; 13:26; Mt 5:13; Ga 2:12.
[2] Pv 14:8; 17:16; Ec 9:10; 10:10, 14; Lk 12:18; 14:28.
[3] Pv 13:16; 18:2, 6; Ec 5:3; 1P 4:4.
[4] 1S 25:24; Pv 25:15; Ec 8:3.
[5] Ec 3:16; 4:1, 7; 5:13; 6:1; 9:3.
[6] Jg 9:14; 1K 12:13; Es 3:1; Ps 12:8; Pv 28:12, 28; Jm 2:3.
[7] Pv 19:10; 30:22.
[8] Jg 9:5, 53; 2S 17:23; 18:15; Es 7:10; Ps 7:15; 9:15; Pv 26:27; Am 5:19; 9:3.
[10] Gn 41:33; Ex 18:19; 1K 3:9; 1Ch 12:32; 2Ch 23:4; Ec 9:15; 10:15; Mt 10:16; Ac 6:1; 15:2; Ro 16:19; 1Co 14:20; Ep 5:15; Col 4:5; Jm 1:5.
[11] Ps 52:2; 58:4; 64:3; Pv 18:21; Jr 8:17; Jm 3:6.
[12] 2S 1:16; 1K 20:40; Jb 4:3; 16:5; Ps 37:30; 40:9; 64:8; 71:15; 140:9; Pv 10:8, 10, 13, 14, 20, 31; 12:13, 18; 15:2, 23; 16:21; 18:6; 19:5; 22:17; 25:11; 26:9; 31:26; Mt 12:35; Lk 4:22; 19:22; Ep 4:29; Col 4:6.
[13] Jg 14:15; 1S 20:26; 22:7, 16; 25:10; 2S 19:41; 20:1; 2K 6:27, 31; Pv 29:9; Mt 2:7, 16; Lk 6:2, 11; 11:38, 53; Jn 12:10; Ac 5:28; 6:9; 7:54; 19:24.
[14] Jb 34:37; 35:16; Pv 10:19; 15:2; Ec 3:22; 5:3; 6:12; 8:7; Jm 4:13.
[15] Ps 107:4, 7; Ec 10:3, 10; Is 35:8; 44:12; 47:12; 55:2; 57:1; Jr 50:4; Hab 2:6; Mt 11:28.

Of riot,

16 ¶ Woeº to thee, O land,º when thy kingº² [is] a child,º and thy princesº eatºª in the morning!º 17 Blessedº [art] thou, O land,º when thy kingº² [is] the sonº of nobles,º and thy princesº eatºª in due season,º for strength,º and not² for drunkenness!º

[16] 2Ch 13:7; 33:1; 36:2, 5, 9, 11; Pv 20:1; Is 3:4, 12; 5:11; 28:7; Jr 21:12; Ho 7:5.
[17] Pv 28:2; 31:4; Ec 10:6; Jr 30:21.

slothfulness,

18 ¶ By much slothfulnessº the buildingº decayeth;ºª and through idlenessº of the handsº the houseº droppeth through.ºª

[18] Pv 12:24; 14:1; 20:4; 21:25; 23:21; 24:30; He 6:11; 2P 1:5.

and money.

19 ¶ A feastº is madeºª for laughter,º and wineº maketh merry:ººª but moneyº answerethºª² all² [things].

[19] Gn 43:34; 1S 25:36; 2S 13:28; 1Ch 21:24; 29:2; 2Ch 24:11; Ezr 1:6; 7:15; Ne 5:8; Ps 104:15; 112:9; Ec 2:1; 7:2, 11; 9:7; Is 23:18; 24:11; Dn 5:1; Mt 17:27; 19:21; Lk 8:3; 12:19; 16:9; Ac 2:45; 11:29; Ep 5:18; Php 4:15; 1Ti 6:17; 1P 4:3.

Men's thoughts of kings ought to be reverent.

20 ¶ Curseºª not² the king,º no² not in thy thought;º and curseºª not² the richº in thy bedchamber:ºº for² a birdº of the airº shall carry¹ª²² the voice,º and that which hathº wingsº shall tellºª the matter.º

[20] Ex 22:28; Ec 7:21; Is 8:21; Lk 10:40; 12:2; 19:40; Ac 23:5.


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