Ecclesiastes 10:1

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1 Dead¹ flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.

2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.

3 Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
^aAnd he shows everyone that he is a fool.

4 If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
^aDo not leave your post;
For ^bconciliation pacifies great offenses.

5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:

6 ^aFolly is set in¹ great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.

7 I have seen servants ^aon horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.

8 ^aHe who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.

9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.

10 If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom¹ brings success.

11 A serpent may bite ^awhen it is not charmed;
The¹ babbler is no different.

12 ^aThe words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But ^bthe lips of a fool shall swallow him up;

13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.

14 ^aA fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him ^bwhat will be after him?

15 The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!

16 ^aWoe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!

17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your ^aprinces feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!

18 Because of laziness the¹ building decays,
And ^athrough idleness of hands the house leaks.

19 A feast is made for laughter,
And ^awine makes merry;
But money answers everything.

20 ^aDo not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

Verse Comparison: Ecclesiastes 10:1

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Ecclesiastes 10:2 >>

American Standard Version
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; `so' doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

Amplified® Bible
DEAD FLIES cause the ointment of the perfumer to putrefy [and] send forth a vile odor; so does a little folly [in him who is valued for wisdom] outweigh wisdom and honor.

Contemporary English Version
A few dead flies in perfume make all of it stink, and a little foolishness outweighs a lot of wisdom.

Darby English Version
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink [and] ferment; [so] a little folly is weightier than wisdom [and] honour.

Good News Bible
Dead flies can make a whole bottle of perfume stink, and a little stupidity can cancel out the greatest wisdom.

King James Version
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

New American Standard Bible
Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom {and} honor.

New International Version
As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

New King James Version
Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness seems weightier than wisdom and honor.

Revised Standard Version
Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

Young's Literal Translation
Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom -- By reason of honour -- a little folly!

New English Translation
One dead fly¹ makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench,² so a little folly can outweigh³ much wisdom.⁴

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