Ecclesiastes 10 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Folly of a Simpleminded Fool

1 Dead ^H4194 flies ^H2070 make a perfumer’s ^H7543 oil ^H8081 stink ^H887, so a little ^H4592 simpleminded ^H5531 folly ^H5531 is weightier ^H3368 than ^H4480 wisdom ^H2451 and honor ^H3519.

2 A wise ^H2450 man’s ^H2450 heart ^H3820 directs him toward the right ^H3225, but the foolish ^H3684 man’s ^H3684 heart ^H3820 directs him toward the left ^H8040. 3 Even ^H1571 when ^H7945 the simpleminded ^H5530 fool ^H5530 walks ^H1980 along the road ^H1870, his heart ^H3820 lacks ^H2637 wisdom, and he says ^H559 to all ^H3605 that he is a simpleminded ^H5530 fool ^H5530. 4 If ^H518 the ruler’s ^H4910 [fn]temper ^H7307 rises ^H5927 against ^H5921 you, do not abandon ^H5117 your position ^H4725, because ^H3588 calmness ^H4832 causes ^H5117 great ^H1419 offenses ^H2399 to ^H5117 be ^H5117 abandoned ^H5117.

5 There ^H3426 is ^H3426 an evil ^H7451 I have seen ^H7200 under ^H8478 the sun ^H8121, like a mistake ^H7684 which ^H7945 goes ^H3318 forth ^H3318 from the one in power ^H7989— 6 [fn]folly ^H5529 is set ^H5414 in many ^H7227 exalted ^H4791 places ^H4791 while rich ^H6223 men ^H6223 sit ^H3427 in humble ^H8216 places ^H8216. 7 I have seen ^H7200 slaves ^H5650 riding on horses ^H5483 and princes ^H8269 walking ^H1980 like slaves ^H5650 on the land ^H776.

8 He who digs ^H2658 a pit ^H1475 may fall ^H5307 into it, and a serpent ^H5175 may bite ^H5391 him who breaks ^H6555 through ^H6555 a wall ^H1447. 9 He who quarries ^H5265 stones ^H68 may be hurt ^H6087 by them, and he who splits ^H1234 logs ^H6086 may be endangered ^H5533 by them. 10 If ^H518 the [fn]axe ^H1270 is dull ^H6949 and he does not sharpen ^H7043 its edge ^H6440, then he must [fn]exert ^H1396 more strength ^H2428. Wisdom ^H2451 has the advantage ^H3504 of giving ^H3787 success ^H3787. 11 If ^H518 the serpent ^H5175 bites ^H5391 [fn]before being charmed ^H3908, there ^H369 is ^H369 no ^H369 advantage ^H3504 for the charmer ^H1167 H3956. 12 Words ^H1697 from the mouth ^H6310 of a wise ^H2450 man ^H2450 are gracious ^H2580, but the lips ^H8193 of a fool ^H3684 swallow ^H1104 him up; 13 the beginning ^H8462 of the words ^H1697 of his mouth ^H6310 is simpleminded ^H5531 folly ^H5531, and the end ^H319 of what comes from his mouth ^H6310 is evil ^H7451 madness ^H1948. 14 Yet the simpleminded ^H5530 fool ^H5530 multiplies ^H7235 words ^H1697. No ^H3808 man ^H120 knows ^H3045 what ^H4100 will happen ^H1961, and who ^H4310 can tell ^H5046 him what ^H834 will come ^H1961 after ^H4480 H310 him? 15 The labor ^H5999 of [fn]a fool ^H3684 so wearies ^H3021 him that he does not even know ^H3045 how to go ^H1980 to a city ^H5892. 16 Woe ^H337 to you, O land ^H776, whose ^H7945 king ^H4428 is a young ^H5288 man ^H5288 and whose princes ^H8269 [fn]eat ^H398 in the morning ^H1242. 17 Blessed ^H835 are you, O land ^H776, whose ^H7945 king ^H4428 is of nobility ^H1121 H2715 and whose princes ^H8269 eat ^H398 at the appropriate time ^H6256—for might ^H1369 and not for drinking ^H8358. 18 Through indolence ^H6103 the beams ^H4746 sag ^H4355, and through slack ^H8220 hands ^H3027 the house ^H1004 leaks ^H1811. 19 Men prepare ^H6213 bread ^H3899 for laughter ^H7814, and wine ^H3196 makes ^H8055 life ^H2416 glad ^H8055, and money ^H3701 [fn]is the answer ^H6030 to everything ^H3605. 20 Furthermore ^H1571, in your bedchamber ^H4702 do not curse ^H7043 a king ^H4428, and in your sleeping ^H4904 rooms ^H2315 do not curse ^H7043 a rich ^H6223 man ^H6223, for a bird ^H5775 of the sky ^H8064 will bring ^H1980 the sound ^H6963 and the winged ^H3671 creature will tell ^H5046 the matter ^H1697.