Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 10"

Ecclesiastes 10

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Just as dead flies make perfumed oil stink, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

2 A wise man's heart leads him rightly, but a fool's heart leads him astray;

3 and when a fool travels, he has no good sense, thus showing everyone that he is a fool.

4 If a ruler gets angry at you, stay at your post, because calmness soothes great offenses.

5 Another evil I have seen under the sun, the kind of mistake rulers make, is that

6 fools are promoted to high positions, while the rich occupy humble places.

7 I have seen servants riding horses, while princes walk on foot like slaves.

8 He who digs a pit may fall into it; he who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

9 He who quarries stones may get hurt by them, he who chops wood puts himself in 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.

11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, the snake-charmer has no advantage.

12 The words spoken by the wise bring them favor, but the lips of a fool swallow him up.

13 What he says starts with foolishness and ends with wicked madness.

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?

15 The efforts of a fool wear him out; he doesn't even know the way to town!

16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your leaders start their parties 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!

18 When the owner is lazy, the roof sags; when hands are idle, the house leaks.

19 Parties are made for having a good time, wine adds cheer to life, and money has an answer for everything.

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.

The Message Bible MSG

1 Dead flies in perfume make it stink, And a little foolishness decomposes much wisdom.

2 Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.

3 Fools on the road have no sense of direction. The way they walk tells the story: "There goes the fool again!"

4 If a ruler loses his temper against you, don't panic; A calm disposition quiets intemperate rage.

5 Here's a piece of bad business I've seen on this earth, An error that can be blamed on whoever is in charge:

6 Immaturity is given a place of prominence, While maturity is made to take a back seat.

7 I've seen unproven upstarts riding in style, While experienced veterans are put out to pasture.

8 Caution: The trap you set might catch you. Warning: Your accomplice in crime might double-cross you.

9 Safety first: Quarrying stones is dangerous. Be alert: Felling trees is hazardous.

10 Remember: The duller the ax the harder the work; Use your head: The more brains, the less muscle.

11 If the snake bites before it's been charmed, What's the point in then sending for the charmer?

12 The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs -

13 He starts out talking nonsense And ends up spouting insanity and evil.

14 Fools talk way too much, Chattering stuff they know nothing about.

15 A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town.

16 Unlucky the land whose king is a young pup, And whose princes party all night.

17 Lucky the land whose king is mature, Where the princes behave themselves And don't drink themselves silly.

18 A shiftless man lives in a tumbledown shack; A lazy woman ends up with a leaky roof.

19 Laughter and bread go together, And wine gives sparkle to life - But it's money that makes the world go around.

20 Don't bad-mouth your leaders, not even under your breath, And don't abuse your betters, even in the privacy of your home. Loose talk has a way of getting picked up and spread around. Little birds drop the crumbs of your gossip far and wide.