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← (Ecclesiastes 9) | (Ecclesiastes 11) →

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New Living Translation

  • Wisdom and Folly

    Dead[a] flies [b]putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
    And cause it to give off a foul odor;
    So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
  • As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink,
    so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.
  • A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
    But a fool’s heart at his left.
  • A wise person chooses the right road;
    a fool takes the wrong one.
  • Even when a fool walks along the way,
    He lacks wisdom,
    And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
  • You can identify fools
    just by the way they walk down the street!
  • If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
    Do not leave your post;
    For conciliation[c] pacifies great offenses.
  • If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit!
    A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.
  • There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
    As an error proceeding from the ruler:

  • The Ironies of Life

    There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake
  • Folly is set in [d]great dignity,
    While the rich sit in a lowly place.
  • when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth.
  • I have seen servants on horses,
    While princes walk on the ground like servants.
  • I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes — and princes walking like servants!
  • He who digs a pit will fall into it,
    And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
  • When you dig a well,
    you might fall in.
    When you demolish an old wall,
    you could be bitten by a snake.
  • He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
    And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
  • When you work in a quarry,
    stones might fall and crush you.
    When you chop wood,
    there is danger with each stroke of your ax.
  • If the ax is dull,
    And one does not sharpen the edge,
    Then he must use more strength;
    But wisdom [e]brings success.
  • Using a dull ax requires great strength,
    so sharpen the blade.
    That’s the value of wisdom;
    it helps you succeed.
  • A serpent may bite when it is not charmed;
    The [f]babbler is no different.
  • If a snake bites before you charm it,
    what’s the use of being a snake charmer?
  • The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
    But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
  • Wise words bring approval,
    but fools are destroyed by their own words.
  • The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
    And the end of his talk is raving madness.
  • Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions,
    so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
  • A fool also multiplies words.
    No man knows what is to be;
    Who can tell him what will be after him?
  • they chatter on and on.
    No one really knows what is going to happen;
    no one can predict the future.
  • The labor of fools wearies them,
    For they do not even know how to go to the city!
  • Fools are so exhausted by a little work
    that they can’t even find their way home.
  • Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
    And your princes feast in the morning!
  • What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant,a
    the land whose leaders feast in the morning.
  • Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
    And your princes feast at the proper time —
    For strength and not for drunkenness!
  • Happy 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.
  • Because of laziness the [g]building decays,
    And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
  • Laziness leads to a sagging roof;
    idleness leads to a leaky house.
  • A feast is made for laughter,
    And wine makes merry;
    But money answers everything.
  • A party gives laughter,
    wine gives happiness,
    and money gives everything!
  • Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
    Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
    For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
    And a bird in flight may tell the matter.
  • Never 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.

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