Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town. New Living Translation Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home. English Standard Version The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. Berean Standard Bible The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. King James Bible The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. New King James Version The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city! New American Standard Bible The labor of a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. NASB 1995 The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. NASB 1977 The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. Legacy Standard Bible The labor of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. Amplified Bible The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city. Christian Standard Bible The struggles of fools weary them, for they don’t know how to go to the city. Holman Christian Standard Bible The struggles of fools weary them, for they don’t know how to go to the city. American Standard Version The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city. Aramaic Bible in Plain English The labors of fools weary them, for they do not know how to go to the city Brenton Septuagint Translation The labour of fools will afflict them, as that of one who knows not to go to the city. Contemporary English Version Fools wear themselves out--they don't know enough to find their way home. Douay-Rheims Bible The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not how to go to the city. English Revised Version The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city. GOD'S WORD® Translation Fools wear themselves out with hard work, because they don't even know the way to town. Good News Translation Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work. International Standard Version The work of a fool so wears him out that he can't even find his way to town. JPS Tanakh 1917 The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, For he knoweth not how to go to the city. Literal Standard Version The labor of the foolish wearies him, | In that he has not known to go to the city. Majority Standard Bible The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. New American Bible The toil of fools wearies them, so they do not know even the way to town. NET Bible The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city. New Revised Standard Version The toil of fools wears them out, for they do not even know the way to town. New Heart English Bible The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city. Webster's Bible Translation The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. World English Bible The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city. Young's Literal Translation The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Wisdom and Folly…14Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him? 15The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. 16Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.… Cross References Ecclesiastes 10:14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him? Ecclesiastes 10:16 Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning. Treasury of Scripture The labor of the foolish wearies every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city. labour Ecclesiastes 10:3,10 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… Isaiah 44:12-17 The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint… Isaiah 47:12,13 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail… because Psalm 107:4,7 They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in… Isaiah 35:8-10 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein… Jeremiah 50:4,5 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God… Jump to Previous City Fool Foolish Fools Fool's Labor Toil Way Wearies Wearieth Weariness WorkJump to Next City Fool Foolish Fools Fool's Labor Toil Way Wearies Wearieth Weariness WorkEcclesiastes 10 1. observations of wisdom and folly7. death in life 9. and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on (15) To go to the city.--Evidently a proverbial expression; "is not able to find his way on a plain road." (Comp. Isaiah 35:8.)Verse 15. - The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. The transition from plural to singular is here made, The work of fools wearieth him that knoweth not, etc. "Fools' work" signifies, perhaps, the vain speculations about Providence which Koheleth constantly condemns; or at any rate, all vain and objectless toil and trouble. Not to know the way to the city is probably a proverbial saying expressive of gross ignorance concerning the most obvious matters. How should one, who fails in the knowledge open to all experience, be able to investigate and give an opinion about abstruse questions (comp. Isaiah 35:8)? For the last clause other interpretations have been proposed, such as, the fool knows not how to transact public business (which is introducing a modern idea); the oppressed peasant knows not the way to the town where he might obtain redress; he is so foolish that he does not understand where he may find patrons whom he may bribe to plead his cause; he is an Essene, who avoids cities; he cannot make his way to the new Jerusalem, the city of God. But these artificial explanations are to be rejected, while the simple interpretation given above is plainly consistent with the context. The lesson is not to meddle with things too high, especially when you are ignorant of the commonest matters. A little wisdom would prevent endless and useless trouble. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew The toilעֲמַ֥ל (‘ă·mal) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 5999: Toil, wearing effort, worry, wheth, of body, mind of a fool הַכְּסִילִ֖ים (hak·kə·sî·lîm) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 3684: Stupid fellow, dullard, fool wearies him, תְּיַגְּעֶ֑נּוּ (tə·yag·gə·‘en·nū) Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person feminine singular | third person masculine singular Strong's 3021: To gasp, to be exhausted, to tire, to toil for אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that he does not לֹֽא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no know יָדַ֖ע (yā·ḏa‘) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3045: To know the way לָלֶ֥כֶת (lā·le·ḵeṯ) Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the city. עִֽיר׃ (‘îr) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5892: Excitement Links Ecclesiastes 10:15 NIVEcclesiastes 10:15 NLT Ecclesiastes 10:15 ESV Ecclesiastes 10:15 NASB Ecclesiastes 10:15 KJV Ecclesiastes 10:15 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 10:15 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 10:15 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 10:15 French Bible Ecclesiastes 10:15 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:15 The labor of fools wearies every one (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |
    |