The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Just as dead flies make perfumed oil stink, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
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Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.
2 A wise man's heart leads him rightly, but a fool's heart leads him astray;
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The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
3 and when a fool travels, he has no good sense, thus showing everyone that he is a fool.
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And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
4 If a ruler gets angry at you, stay at your post, because calmness soothes great offenses.
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If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.
5 Another evil I have seen under the sun, the kind of mistake rulers make, is that
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There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
6 fools are promoted to high positions, while the rich occupy humble places.
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The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
7 I have seen servants riding horses, while princes walk on foot like slaves.
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I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
8 He who digs a pit may fall into it; he who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
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He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
9 He who quarries stones may get hurt by them, he who chops wood puts himself in danger.
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He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
10 If the [hatchet's] iron [blade] is blunt, and [its user] doesn't sharpen it, he will have to exert more effort; but the expert has the advantage of his skill.
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If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, the snake-charmer has no advantage.
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If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
12 The words spoken by the wise bring them favor, but the lips of a fool swallow him up.
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The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
13 What he says starts with foolishness and ends with wicked madness.
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The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
14 A fool keeps talking and talking, yet no one knows what the future will bring -can anyone tell a person what will happen after he's gone?
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The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
15 The efforts of a fool wear him out; he doesn't even know the way to town!
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The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your leaders start their parties in the morning!
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Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
17 Happy are you, land, when your king is well-born, and your princes eat at the proper time, in order to stay strong, not to get drunk!
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Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.
18 When the owner is lazy, the roof sags; when hands are idle, the house leaks.
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When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
19 Parties are made for having a good time, wine adds cheer to life, and money has an answer for everything.
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A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
20 Don't insult the king, not even in your thoughts; and don't insult the wealthy, not even in your bedroom; for a bird in the air might carry the news, a creature with wings might repeat what you said.
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Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.