Ecclesiastes 10
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1As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.1One dead fly makes the perfumer's ointment give off a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom.
2A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.2A wise person's good sense protects him, but a fool's lack of sense leaves him vulnerable.
3You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!3Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is.
4If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. The Ironies of Life4If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position, for a calm response can undo great offenses.
5There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake5I have seen another misfortune on the earth: It is an error a ruler makes.
6when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth.6Fools are placed in many positions of authority, while wealthy men sit in lowly positions.
7I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!7I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on foot like slaves.
8When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake.8One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax.9One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.10If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
11If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?11If the snake should bite before it is charmed, the snake charmer is in trouble.
12Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.12The words of a wise person win him favor, but the words of a fool are self-destructive.
13Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness;13At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness,
14they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.14yet a fool keeps on babbling. No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future?
15Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.15The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.
16What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning.16Woe to you, O land, when your king is childish, and your princes feast in the morning!
17Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time--with self-control and not in drunkenness.
18Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.18Because of laziness the roof caves in, and because of idle hands the house leaks.
19A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!19Feasts are made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
20Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said.20Do not curse a king even in your thoughts, and do not curse the rich while in your bedroom; for a bird might report what you are thinking, or some winged creature might repeat your words.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Ecclesiastes 9
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