Parallel Bible results for "ecclesiastes 10"

Ecclesiastes 10

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.

New Living Translation NLT

1 As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.

2 A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one.

3 You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!

4 If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

5 There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake

6 when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth.

7 I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants!

8 When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake.

9 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.

10 Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.

11 If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer?

12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words.

13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness;

14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future.

15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home.

16 What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning.

17 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.

18 Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.

19 A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!

20 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.