Ecclesiastes 10

The Folly of Foolishness

1 Dead flies make perfume stink, and a little foolishness outweighs wisdom and honor.

2 A wise person’s heart leads to the right, but a fool’s heart leads to the left.

3 Even when fools walk down the road, they show their stupidity for everyone to see.

4 If a ruler gets mad at you, stay calm; do not quit your post, calmness can cool down great offenses.

The Irony of Life

5 I have seen another evil under the sun, an error that comes from rulers.

6 Fools put in high positions, while the rich sit low.

7 I have seen slaves on horses and princes walking like servants on foot.

8 Whoever digs a pit might fall into it; whoever breaks a wall might get bitten by a snake.

9 Whoever quarries stones might get hurt by them; whoever splits logs might get injured.

10 If the ax dull and you do not sharpen it, you must use more strength, but wisdom brings success.

11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, what is the use of the charmer,

The Words of the Wise and the Foolish

12 The words from a wise person’s mouth bring favor, but a fool gets destroyed by his own mouth.

13 He starts talking nonsense and ends with straight-up crazy talk.

14 Fools talk too much, no one knows what is coming or what will happen after.

15 Fools work themselves tired because they do not even know the way to town.

The Burden of Foolish Leadership

16 Woe to you, land whose king is a child and whose rulers feast in the morning.

17 Blessed the land whose king is noble and whose leaders eat at the right time, for strength, not for drunkenness.

18 Through laziness, the roof sags; through idle hands, the house leaks.

19 People feast for fun, wine makes them merry, and money answers everything.

20 Do not bad-mouth the king, even in your thoughts; do not curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky might carry your words and tell the matter.