Ecclesiastes 10 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 10 ▼
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New American Bible Revised
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1 Dead flies corrupt and spoil the perfumer’s oil; more weighty than wisdom or wealth is a little folly! 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 The wise heart turns to the right; the foolish heart to 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 walking in the street the fool, lacking understanding, calls everyone a 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 Should the anger of a ruler burst upon you, do not yield your place; for calmness abates great offenses. 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 I have seen under the sun another evil, like a mistake that proceeds from a tyrant: 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 a fool put in high position, while the great and the rich sit in lowly 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 on horseback, while princes went on foot like slaves. 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 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall, a snake may bite. 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 Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them, and whoever chops wood is in danger from it. 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 ax becomes dull, and the blade is not sharpened, then effort must be increased. But the advantage of wisdom is 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 snake bites before it is charmed, then there is no advantage in a 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 the wise win favor, but the lips of fools consume them. 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 their words is folly, and the end of their talk is utter 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 fools multiply words. No one knows what is to come, for who can tell anyone what will be? 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 toil of fools wearies them, so they do not know even the way to town. 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 youth, and whose princes feast 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 Happy are you, O land, whose king is of noble birth, and whose princes dine at the right time— for vigor and not in drinking bouts. 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 Because of laziness, the rafters sag; when hands are slack, 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 A feast is made for merriment and wine gives joy to the living, but money answers for 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 Even in your thoughts do not curse the king, nor in the privacy of your bedroom curse the rich; For the birds of the air may carry your voice, a winged creature may tell what you say. 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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