(KJV) Ecclesiastes 101

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⥃Wisdom and Folly

[1] Dead flies2 cause the ointment3 of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: [so doth] a little4 folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honour. [2] A wise5 man’s heart [is] at his right hand; but6 a fool’s heart at his left. [3] Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom7 faileth [him], and he8 saith to every one [that] he [is] a fool. [4] If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave9 not thy place; for10 yielding pacifieth great offences. [5] There is an evil11 [which] I have seen under the sun, as an12 error [which] proceedeth from13 the ruler: [6] Folly14 is set in great dignity15, and the rich16 sit in low place. [7] I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.17 [8] He that18 diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent19 shall bite him. [9] Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. [10] If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom20 [is] profitable to direct. [11] Surely the serpent21 will bite without enchantment; and a babbler22 is no better. [12] The words23 of a wise man’s mouth [are] gracious24; but25 the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. [13] The beginning26 of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk27 [is] mischievous madness. [14] A fool28 also is full of words29: a man30 cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? [15] The labour31 of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because32 he knoweth not how to go to the city.

[16] Woe to thee, O land, when33 thy king [is] a child, and34 thy princes eat in the35 morning! [17] Blessed [art] thou, O land, when36 thy king [is] the son of nobles, and thy37 princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

[18] [¶]By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.38

[19] [¶]A feast39 is made for laughter, and wine40 maketh merry41: but42 money answereth all [things].

[20] [¶]Curse43 not the king, no not in thy thought44; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber45: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

<< Ecclesiastes 9 Ecclesiastes 11 >>

  1. Eccl 10:1, Observations of wisdom and folly; Eccl 10:16, of riot; Eccl 10:18, slothfulness; Eccl 10:19, and money; Eccl 10:20, Men’s thoughts of kings ought to be reverent. ↩

  2. Heb. Flies of death ↩

  3. Exod 30:34-35 ↩

  4. 2Chr 19:2; Neh 6:13, Neh 13:26; Matt 5:13-16; Gal 2:12-14 ↩

  5. Eccl 9:10; Prov 14:8; Luke 14:28-32 ↩

  6. Eccl 10:10, Eccl 10:14; Prov 17:16; Luke 12:18-20 ↩

  7. Heb. heart ↩

  8. Eccl 5:3; Prov 13:16, Prov 18:2, Prov 18:6; 1Pet 4:4 ↩

  9. Eccl 8:3 ↩

  10. 1Sam 25:24-44; Prov 25:15 ↩

  11. Eccl 4:7, Eccl 5:13, Eccl 6:1, Eccl 9:3 ↩

  12. Eccl 3:16, Eccl 4:1 ↩

  13. Heb. from before ↩

  14. Judg 9:14-20; 1Kgs 12:13-14; Esth 3:1; Ps 12:8; Prov 28:12, Prov 28:28 ↩

  15. Heb. heights ↩

  16. Jas 2:3-5 ↩

  17. Prov 19:10, Prov 30:22 ↩

  18. Judg 9:5, Judg 9:53-57; 2Sam 17:23, 2Sam 18:15; Esth 7:10; Ps 7:15-16, Ps 9:15-16; Prov 26:27 ↩

  19. Amos 5:19, Amos 9:3 ↩

  20. Eccl 10:15, Eccl 9:15-17; Gen 41:33-39; Exod 18:19-23; 1Kgs 3:9; 1Chr 12:32; 2Chr 23:4-11; Matt 10:16; Acts 6:1-9, Acts 15:2-21; Rom 16:19; 1Cor 14:20; Eph 5:15-17; Col 4:5; Jas 1:5 ↩

  21. Ps 58:4-5; Jer 8:17 ↩

  22. Heb. the master of the tongue, Ps 52:2, Ps 64:3; Prov 18:21; Jas 3:6 ↩

  23. Job 4:3-4, Job 16:5; Ps 37:30, Ps 40:9-10, Ps 71:15-18; Prov 10:13, Prov 10:20-21, Prov 10:31-32; Prov 12:13-14, Prov 12:18, Prov 15:2, Prov 15:23, Prov 16:21-24, Prov 22:17-18, Prov 25:11-12, Prov 31:26; Matt 12:35; Luke 4:22; Eph 4:29; Col 4:6 ↩

  24. Heb. grace ↩

  25. 2Sam 1:16; 1Kgs 20:40-42; Ps 64:8, Ps 140:9; Prov 10:8, Prov 10:10, Prov 10:14, Prov 18:6-8, Prov 19:5; Prov 26:9; Luke 19:22 ↩

  26. Judg 14:15; 1Sam 20:26-33, 1Sam 22:7-8, 1Sam 22:16-18, 1Sam 25:10-11; 2Sam 19:41-43; 2Sam 20:1; 2Kgs 6:27, 2Kgs 6:31; Prov 29:9; Matt 2:7-8, Matt 2:16; Luke 6:2, Luke 6:11; Luke 11:38, Luke 11:53-54; John 12:10; Acts 5:28-33, Acts 6:9-11, Acts 7:54-59, Acts 19:24-28 ↩

  27. Heb. mouth ↩

  28. Eccl 5:3; Prov 10:19, Prov 15:2 ↩

  29. Heb. multiplieth words, Job 34:37, Job 35:16 ↩

  30. Eccl 3:22, Eccl 6:12, Eccl 8:7; Jas 4:13-14 ↩

  31. Eccl 10:3, Eccl 10:10; Isa 44:12-17, Isa 47:12-13, Isa 55:2, Isa 57:1; Hab 2:6; Matt 11:28-30 ↩

  32. Ps 107:4, Ps 107:7; Isa 35:8-10; Jer 50:4-5 ↩

  33. 2Chr 13:7, 2Chr 33:1-20, 2Chr 36:2, 2Chr 36:5, 2Chr 36:9, 2Chr 36:11; Isa 3:4-5, Isa 3:12 ↩

  34. Prov 20:1-2; Isa 5:11-12, Isa 28:7-8; Hos 7:5-7 ↩

  35. Jer 21:12 ↩

  36. Eccl 10:6-7; Prov 28:2-3; Jer 30:21 ↩

  37. Prov 31:4-5 ↩

  38. Prov 12:24, Prov 14:1, Prov 20:4, Prov 21:25, Prov 23:21, Prov 24:30-31; Heb 6:11; 2Pet 1:5-10 ↩

  39. Eccl 2:1-2, Eccl 7:2-6; Gen 43:34; Dan 5:1-12; 1Pet 4:3 ↩

  40. Eccl 9:7; Ps 104:15; Isa 24:11; 1Sam 25:36; 2Sam 13:28; Luke 12:19; Eph 5:18-19 ↩

  41. Heb. maketh glad the life ↩

  42. Money which would have answered every good purpose, and served for every emergency, is too often spent in feastings and revellings. Eccl 7:11-12; 1Chr 21:24, 1Chr 29:2-9; 2Chr 24:11-14; Ezra 1:6, Ezra 7:15-18; Neh 5:8; Ps 112:9; Isa 23:18; Matt 17:27, Matt 19:21; Luke 8:3, Luke 16:9; Acts 2:45, Acts 11:29; Phil 4:15-19; 1Tim 6:17-19 ↩

  43. Exod 22:28; Isa 8:21; Acts 23:5 ↩

  44. or, conscience, Eccl 7:21-22; Luke 19:40 ↩

  45. Luke 10:40, Luke 12:2-3 ↩