Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness— New Living Translation Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; English Standard Version The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness. Berean Standard Bible The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness. King James Bible The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. New King James Version The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. New American Standard Bible the beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the end of it is evil insanity. NASB 1995 the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. NASB 1977 the beginning of his talking is folly, and the end of it is wicked madness. Legacy Standard Bible the beginning of the words of his mouth is simpleminded folly, and the end of what comes from his mouth is evil madness. Amplified Bible the beginning of his talking is foolishness and the end of his talk is wicked madness. Christian Standard Bible The beginning of the words from his mouth is folly, but the end of his speaking is evil madness; Holman Christian Standard Bible The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, but the end of his speaking is evil madness. American Standard Version The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Contemporary English Version Fools begin with nonsense, and their stupid chatter ends with disaster. English Revised Version The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. GOD'S WORD® Translation A fool starts out by talking foolishness and ends up saying crazy things that are dangerous. Good News Translation They start out with silly talk and end up with pure madness. International Standard Version He begins his speech with foolishness, and concludes it with evil madness. Majority Standard Bible The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness. NET Bible At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness, New Heart English Bible The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Webster's Bible Translation The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. World English Bible The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThe beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, "" And the latter end of his mouth "" [Is] mischievous madness. Young's Literal Translation The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, And the latter end of his mouth Is mischievous madness. Smith's Literal Translation The beginning of the words of his mouth, folly: and the latter state of his mouth the folly of evil. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThe beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error. Catholic Public Domain Version At the beginning of his words is foolishness, and at the end of his talk is a most grievous error. New American Bible The beginning of their words is folly, and the end of their talk is utter madness; New Revised Standard Version The words of their mouths begin in foolishness, and their talk ends in wicked madness; Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleThe beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his mouth is evil shame OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; And the end of his talk is grievous madness. Brenton Septuagint Translation The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Wisdom and Folly…12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him. 13The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness. 14Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?… Cross References Proverbs 18:7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin, and his lips are a snare to his soul. Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool spouts folly. Proverbs 10:14 The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of the fool invites destruction. Proverbs 12:23 A shrewd man keeps his knowledge to himself, but a foolish heart proclaims its folly. Proverbs 13:16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly. Proverbs 14:7 Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech. Proverbs 26:7 Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Proverbs 26:9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool. Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Proverbs 29:11 A fool vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back. Matthew 12:34-37 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. / The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. / But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. ... James 3:5-6 In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. / The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. James 3:8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. 1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? Treasury of Scripture The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. beginning Judges 14:15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so? 1 Samuel 20:26-33 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean… 1 Samuel 22:7,8,16-18 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; … Jump to Previous Beginning Crime End Evil First Folly Foolish Foolishness Grievous Latter Madness Mischievous Mouth Talk Talking Wicked WordsJump to Next Beginning Crime End Evil First Folly Foolish Foolishness Grievous Latter Madness Mischievous Mouth Talk Talking Wicked WordsEcclesiastes 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 The beginning of his talk is folly This phrase highlights the initial stage of a fool's discourse, characterized by a lack of wisdom and understanding. In biblical context, folly often denotes a moral and spiritual deficiency rather than mere intellectual failure. Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." This suggests that the fool's talk lacks the foundation of reverence for God, leading to misguided and unwise speech. Historically, the culture of ancient Israel placed high value on wisdom, often associating it with righteousness and divine favor. The fool's folly, therefore, is not just a personal failing but a deviation from the community's spiritual and moral standards. and the end of his speech is evil madness Persons / Places / Events 1. Solomon- Traditionally considered the author of Ecclesiastes, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. Ecclesiastes is a reflection on the meaning of life and the pursuit of wisdom. 2. Israel - The nation over which Solomon reigned. The cultural and religious context of Israel during Solomon's time influences the themes of wisdom and folly in Ecclesiastes. 3. The Fool - A recurring character in the wisdom literature of the Bible, representing those who reject wisdom and live in folly. Teaching Points The Progression of FollyFolly often begins with seemingly harmless words but can lead to destructive outcomes. We must be vigilant about the words we speak and the thoughts we entertain. Guarding Our Speech Our words have power. As believers, we are called to speak with wisdom and grace, avoiding the path of the fool whose speech leads to "evil madness." The Consequences of Foolishness The Bible consistently warns about the consequences of foolish behavior. Understanding these consequences should motivate us to seek wisdom and discernment. The Importance of Wisdom Wisdom is not just intellectual knowledge but practical living aligned with God's truth. We should strive to grow in wisdom through prayer, study, and application of God's Word. Self-Reflection and Accountability Regularly examine your speech and actions. Are they reflective of wisdom or folly? Seek accountability from fellow believers to help maintain a path of righteousness.Verse 13. - The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness. A confirmation of the last clause of the preceding verse. The fool speaks according to his nature. "As saith the proverb of the ancients, Out of the wicked cometh forth wickedness" (1 Samuel 24:13; cutup. Proverbs 15:2; Isaiah 32:6). As soon as he opens his month he utters folly, unwisdom, silliness. But he does not stop there. The end of his talk is mischievous madness. By the time he has finished, he has committed himself to statements that are worse than silly, that are presumptuous, frenzied, indicative of mental and moral depravity. Intemperate language about the secrets of God's providence and the moral government of the world may be intended. Some think that the writer is still alluding to dangerous talk concerning a tyrannical ruler, seditious proposals, secret conspiracies, etc. The text itself does not confirm such notion with any certainty. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew The beginningתְּחִלַּ֥ת (tə·ḥil·laṯ) Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 8462: A commencement, rel, original of his talk דִּבְרֵי־ (diḇ·rê-) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause is folly, סִכְל֑וּת (siḵ·lūṯ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5531: Silliness and the end וְאַחֲרִ֣ית (wə·’a·ḥă·rîṯ) Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 319: The last, end, the future, posterity of his speech פִּ֔יהוּ (pî·hū) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 6310: The mouth, edge, portion, side, according to is evil רָעָֽה׃ (rā·‘āh) Adjective - feminine singular Strong's 7451: Bad, evil madness. הוֹלֵל֖וּת (hō·w·lê·lūṯ) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 1948: Madness Links Ecclesiastes 10:13 NIVEcclesiastes 10:13 NLT Ecclesiastes 10:13 ESV Ecclesiastes 10:13 NASB Ecclesiastes 10:13 KJV Ecclesiastes 10:13 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 10:13 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 10:13 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 10:13 French Bible Ecclesiastes 10:13 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his (Ecclesiast. 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