Ecclesiastes 10:13
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 Version
The 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 Bible
The 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 Bible
The 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 1917
The 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; …

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Beginning Crime End Evil First Folly Foolish Foolishness Grievous Latter Madness Mischievous Mouth Talk Talking Wicked Words
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Beginning Crime End Evil First Folly Foolish Foolishness Grievous Latter Madness Mischievous Mouth Talk Talking Wicked Words
Ecclesiastes 10
1. observations of wisdom and folly
7. death in life
9. and the day of judgment in the days of youth, are to be thought on














Yet the end
The phrase "Yet the end" suggests a culmination or final outcome. In the Hebrew text, the word for "end" is "אַחֲרִית" (acharit), which often denotes the final result or destiny of a person's actions. This word is used throughout the Old Testament to indicate the ultimate consequence of one's life choices. In a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the biblical principle that actions have consequences, and the end of a path of folly is not just a minor misstep but a significant, often destructive outcome. It serves as a warning to consider the long-term effects of one's decisions.

of his folly
The term "folly" is translated from the Hebrew word "סִכְלוּת" (sikluth), which refers to foolishness or lack of wisdom. In the context of Ecclesiastes, folly is often contrasted with wisdom, which is highly valued. The Bible frequently associates folly with moral and spiritual failure, not just intellectual deficiency. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, folly is seen as a rejection of God's wisdom and guidance, leading to a life that is out of alignment with divine principles. This phrase underscores the importance of seeking God's wisdom to avoid the pitfalls of foolish living.

is wicked madness
"Wicked madness" is a strong phrase that combines moral and mental corruption. The Hebrew word for "wicked" is "רָע" (ra), which means evil or morally wrong. "Madness" is translated from "הוֹלֵלוּת" (holelut), indicating a state of irrationality or insanity. Together, these words paint a picture of a life that has spiraled out of control due to persistent foolishness. In a conservative Christian interpretation, this serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of sin and the chaos it brings into one's life. It emphasizes the biblical teaching that turning away from God's wisdom leads not only to personal ruin but also to a broader moral decay.

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 beginning
תְּחִלַּ֥ת (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


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OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:13 The beginning of the words of his (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.)
Ecclesiastes 10:12
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