Ecclesiastes 10 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 10 ▼
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1 Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink, so a little simpleminded folly is weightier than wisdom and honor. Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man’s heart directs him toward the left. A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left. The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.
3 Even when the simpleminded fool walks along the road, his heart lacks wisdom, and he says to all that he is a simpleminded fool. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are.
4 If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because calmness causes great offenses to be abandoned. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake which goes forth from the one in power— There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler: There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place. Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land. I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on the ground like slaves. I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. He who digs a pit will fall into it, and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall. Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. He who quarries stones is hurt by them, and he who splits logs is endangered by them. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. If the iron is blunt, and one does not sharpen the edge, he must use more strength, but wisdom helps one to succeed. If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.
11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no advantage for the charmer. If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the charmer. If a snake bites before it is charmed, the charmer receives no fee.
12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, but the lips of a fool swallow him up; The words of a wise man’s mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips.
13 the beginning of the words of his mouth is simpleminded folly, and the end of what comes from his mouth is evil madness. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness—
14 Yet the simpleminded fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him? A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him? and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming— who can tell someone else what will happen after them?
15 The labor of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city. The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town.
16 Woe to you, O land, whose king is a young man and whose princes eat in the morning. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for might and not for drinking. Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness! Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time— for strength and not for drunkenness.
18 Through indolence the beams sag, and through slack hands the house leaks. Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks. Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks.
19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine makes life glad, and money is the answer to everything. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything. A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything.
20 Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the sky will bring the sound and the winged creature will tell the matter. Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter. Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.
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