Ecclesiastes 10 Parallel Bible Translations

Ecclesiastes 10 ▼
swipe to see more →
SEP
Brenton Septuagint Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: and a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of 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 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his 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 Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly. 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 spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences. 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 which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler. 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 The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one. 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 servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth. 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 that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall 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 He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby. 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-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and in that case skill is of no advantage to a man. 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 a serpent bite when there is no charmer's whisper, then there is no advantage to 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 The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will 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 folly: and the end of his talk mischievous 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 A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall 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 labour of fools will afflict them, as that of one who knows not to go to the 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 thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy 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 art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed. 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 By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces. 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 and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience. 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 thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech. 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.
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page