Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. New Living Translation If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. English Standard Version If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest. Berean Standard Bible If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest. King James Bible If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. New King James Version If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses. New American Standard Bible If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your place, because composure puts great offenses to rest. NASB 1995 If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. NASB 1977 If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. Legacy Standard Bible If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because calmness causes great offenses to be abandoned. Amplified Bible If the temper of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post [showing resistance], because composure and calmness prevent great offenses. Christian Standard Bible If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your post, for calmness puts great offenses to rest. Holman Christian Standard Bible If the ruler’s anger rises against you, don’t leave your place, for calmness puts great offenses to rest. American Standard Version If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences. Contemporary English Version Don't give up your job when your boss gets angry. If you stay calm, you'll be forgiven. English Revised Version If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding allayeth great offences. GOD'S WORD® Translation If a ruler becomes angry with you, don't resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses. Good News Translation If your ruler becomes angry with you, do not hand in your resignation; serious wrongs may be pardoned if you keep calm. International Standard Version If your overseer gets angry at you, don't resign, because calmness pacifies great offenses. Majority Standard Bible If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest. NET Bible If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position, for a calm response can undo great offenses. New Heart English Bible If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, do not leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest. Webster's Bible Translation If the spirit of the ruler riseth against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offenses. World English Bible If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIf the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, "" For yielding quiets great sinners. Young's Literal Translation If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners. Smith's Literal Translation If the spirit of him ruling shall go up against thee, thou shalt not leave thy place; for quietness will put down great sins. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIf the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease. Catholic Public Domain Version If the spirit of one who holds authority rises over you, do not leave your place, because attentiveness will cause the greatest sins to cease. New American Bible Should the anger of a ruler burst upon you, do not yield your place; for calmness abates great offenses. New Revised Standard Version If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post, for calmness will undo great offenses. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleIf the temper of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your country; because healing forgives many sins. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated If the spirit of a prince rises against you, do not leave your place, because healing dissolves many sins OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, Leave not thy place; For gentleness allayeth great offences. Brenton Septuagint Translation If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Wisdom and Folly…3Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool. 4If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest. 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler:… Cross References Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Matthew 5:39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; 1 Peter 2:18-23 Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable. / For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended. / How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. ... Proverbs 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone. James 1:19-20 My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, / for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Romans 12:18 If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. 1 Samuel 25:24-31 She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant. / My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent. / Now, my lord, as surely as the LORD lives and you yourself live, since the LORD has held you back from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, may your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be like Nabal. ... Proverbs 16:14 The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it. 1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and forbearing. / He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. Proverbs 19:11 A man’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense. Ephesians 4:26-27 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger, / and do not give the devil a foothold. Genesis 32:3-21 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. / He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now. / I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’” ... Colossians 3:12-13 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. / Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Treasury of Scripture If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses. leave Ecclesiastes 8:3 Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. for 1 Samuel 25:24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Proverbs 25:15 By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone. Jump to Previous Abandon Amends Deference Errors Gentleness Great Keeps Leave Offences Offenses Overlooked Pacifieth Position Post Quiet Quietness Rest Rise Rises Riseth Ruler Ruler's Sins Spirit Temper Wrath YieldingJump to Next Abandon Amends Deference Errors Gentleness Great Keeps Leave Offences Offenses Overlooked Pacifieth Position Post Quiet Quietness Rest Rise Rises Riseth Ruler Ruler's Sins Spirit Temper Wrath YieldingEcclesiastes 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 If the ruler’s temper flares against you This phrase suggests a situation where a person in authority becomes angry or upset. The Hebrew word for "ruler" here is "מֶלֶךְ" (melek), which can refer to a king or any person in a position of authority. Historically, rulers had significant power, and their anger could lead to severe consequences. The phrase "temper flares" indicates a sudden outburst of anger, which in the ancient Near Eastern context, could be dangerous. The wisdom here is timeless, advising patience and understanding when dealing with authority figures, recognizing that their anger might not always be justified or permanent. do not abandon your post for calmness lays great offenses to rest Rise up.--Psalm 78:21; 2Samuel 11:20. Yielding.--Literally, healing. (See Proverbs 15:4.) . . . Verses 4-7. - Section 12. Illustration of the conduct of wisdom under capricious rulers, or when fools are exalted to high stations. Verse 4. - If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee. "Spirit" (ruach) is here equivalent to "anger," as Judges 8:3; Proverbs 29:11. The idea seems to be that a statesman or councilor gives wise advice to a monarch, which the latter takes in bad part, and shows strong resentment against the person who offered it. Now, when a man knows himself to be in the right, and yet finds his counsel rejected, perhaps with scorn and reproach added, he is naturally prone to feel sore, and to show by some overt act his sense of the ill treatment which he has received. But what says wisdom? Leave not thy place (makom); i.e. position, pest, office. Do not hastily resign the situation at court to which you have been appointed. Some, not so suitably, take the expression, "leave thy place," figuratively, as equivalent to "give way to anger, renounce the temper which becomes you, lose your self-possession." But Wright, from the analogous use of matstsale and maamad in Isaiah 22:19, confirms the interpretation which we have adopted. Compare the advice in Ecclesiastes 8:3, where, however, the idea is rather of open rebellion than of a resentment which shows itself by withdrawal. Origen ('De Princip.,' 3:2) explained "the spirit of the ruler" to be the evil spirit; and Gregory, commenting on this passage, writes ('Moral.,' 3:43), "As though he had said in plain words, 'If thou perceivest the spirit of the tempter to prevail against thee in aught, quit not the lowliness of penitence;' and that it was the abasement of penitence that he called 'our place,' he shows by the words that follow, 'for healing [Vulgate] pacifieth great offences.' For what else is the humility of mourning, save the remedy of sin?" (Oxford transl.). For yielding pacifieth great offenses. Marpe, "yielding," is rendered "healing" by the versions. Thus ἴαμα (Septuagint); euratio (Vulgate). But this translation is not so suitable as that of Symmachus, σωφροσύνη, "moderation." The word is used in the sense of" gentleness," "meekness," in Proverbs 14:30; Proverbs 15:4; and the gnome expresses the truth that a calm, conciliating spirit, not prone to take offence, but patient under trying circumstances, obviates great sins. The sins are those of the subject. This quiet resignation saves him from conspiracy, rebellion, treason, etc., into which his untempered resentment might hurry him. We may compare Proverbs 15:1 and Proverbs 25:15; and Horace, 'Cam.,' 3. 3, "Justum et tenacem propositi virum," etc."The man whose soul is firm and strong, Hebrew Ifאִם־ (’im-) Conjunction Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not the ruler’s הַמּוֹשֵׁל֙ (ham·mō·wō·šêl) Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reign temper ר֤וּחַ (rū·aḥ) Noun - common singular construct Strong's 7307: Wind, breath, exhalation, life, anger, unsubstantiality, a region of the sky, spirit flares תַּעֲלֶ֣ה (ta·‘ă·leh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively against you, עָלֶ֔יךָ (‘ā·le·ḵā) Preposition | second person masculine singular Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against do not אַל־ (’al-) Adverb Strong's 408: Not abandon תַּנַּ֑ח (tan·naḥ) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular Strong's 3240: Bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let alone remain, pacify, place, your post, מְקוֹמְךָ֖ (mə·qō·wm·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition for כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction calmness מַרְפֵּ֔א (mar·pê) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4832: Curative, a medicine, a cure, deliverance, placidity {lays} great גְּדוֹלִֽים׃ (gə·ḏō·w·lîm) Adjective - masculine plural Strong's 1419: Great, older, insolent offenses חֲטָאִ֥ים (ḥă·ṭā·’îm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 2399: A crime, its penalty to rest. יַנִּ֖יחַ (yan·nî·aḥ) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 3240: Bestow, cast down, lay down, up, leave off, let alone remain, pacify, place, Links Ecclesiastes 10:4 NIVEcclesiastes 10:4 NLT Ecclesiastes 10:4 ESV Ecclesiastes 10:4 NASB Ecclesiastes 10:4 KJV Ecclesiastes 10:4 BibleApps.com Ecclesiastes 10:4 Biblia Paralela Ecclesiastes 10:4 Chinese Bible Ecclesiastes 10:4 French Bible Ecclesiastes 10:4 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Ecclesiastes 10:4 If the spirit of the ruler rises (Ecclesiast. Ec Ecc Eccles.) |