Ecc 10 | NASB1995 | STEP | Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink , so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor .

‏ Ecclesiastes 10

A Little Foolishness

1 Dead flies make a ^aperfumer’s oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise man’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish ^bman’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his ^{▼▼ Lit heart}sense is lacking and he ^{▼▼ Lit says
,} ^edemonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s ^{▼▼ Lit spirit}temper rises against you, ^gdo not abandon your position, because ^hcomposure allays great offenses.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler— 6 ⁱfolly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. 7 I have seen ^jslaves riding ^kon horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

8 ^lHe who digs a pit may fall into it, and a ^mserpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. 9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the ^{▼▼ Lit iron}axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must ^{▼▼ Lit strengthen}exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. 11 If the serpent bites ^{▼▼ Lit without enchantment
,} ^qbefore being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. 12 ^rWords from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a ^sfool consume him; 13 the beginning of ^{▼▼ Lit the words of his mouth}his talking is folly and the end of ^{▼▼ Lit his mouth}it is wicked ^vmadness. 14 Yet the ^wfool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him ^xwhat will come after him? 15 The toil of ^{▼▼ Lit fools}a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, O land, whose ^zking is a lad and whose princes ^{▼▼ Lit eat}feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time— for strength and not for ^abdrunkenness. 18 Through ^acindolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. 19 Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and ^adwine makes life merry, and ^aemoney ^{▼▼ Lit answers all}is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, ^agin your bedchamber do not ^ahcurse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known.