Ecclesiastes 10:2

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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.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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