Ecclesiastes · Bible in Basic English
Ecclesiastes 10 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.
1 LAS moscas muertas hacen heder [y] dar mal olor el perfume del perfumista: [así] una pequeña locura, al estimado por sabiduría y honra.
2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
2 El corazón del sabio está á su mano derecha; mas el corazón del necio á su mano izquierda.
3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
3 Y aun mientras va el necio por el camino, fálta[le] su cordura, y dice á todos, [que] es necio.
4 If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.
4 Si el espíritu del príncipe se exaltare contra ti, no dejes tu lugar; porque la lenidad hará cesar grandes ofensas.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
5 Hay un mal que debajo del sol he visto, á manera de error emanado del príncipe:
6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
6 La necedad está colocada en grandes alturas, y los ricos están sentados en lugar bajo.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
7 Vi siervos en caballos, y príncipes que andaban como siervos sobre la tierra.
8 He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
8 El que hiciere el hoyo caerá en él; y el que aportillare el vallado, morderále la serpiente.
9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
9 El que mudare las piedras, trabajo tendrá en ellas: el que cortare la leña, en ella peligrará.
10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.
10 Si se embotare el hierro, y su filo no fuere amolado, hay que añadir entonces más fuerza: empero excede la bondad de la sabiduría.
11 If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
11 Muerde la serpiente cuando no está encantada, y el lenguaraz no es mejor.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
12 Las palabras de la boca del sabio son gracia; mas los labios del necio causan su propia ruina.
13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
13 El principio de las palabras de su boca es necedad; y el fin de su charla nocivo desvarío.
14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
14 El necio multiplica palabras: no sabe hombre lo que ha de ser; ¿y quién le hará saber lo que después de él será?
15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
15 El trabajo de los necios los fatiga; porque no saben por dónde ir á la ciudad.
16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
16 ¡Ay de ti, tierra, cuando tu rey es muchacho, y tus príncipes comen de mañana!
17 Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.
17 ¡Bienaventurada, tú, tierra, cuando tu rey es hijo de nobles, y tus príncipes comen á su hora, por refección, y no por el beber!
18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
18 Por la pereza se cae la techumbre, y por flojedad de manos se llueve la casa.
19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
19 Por el placer se hace el convite, y el vino alegra los vivos: y el dinero responde á todo.
20 Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.
20 Ni aun en tu pensamiento digas mal del rey, ni en los secretos de tu cámara digas mal del rico; porque las aves del cielo llevarán la voz, y las que tienen alas harán saber la palabra.
Cross references (19)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Matthew 5:13–16; Galatians 2:12–14; Nehemiah 13:26; Exodus 30:25; 2 Chronicles 19:2
- 2 Luke 12:18–20; Ecclesiastes 10:14; Luke 14:28–32; Ecclesiastes 10:10; Proverbs 17:16
- 3 Proverbs 18:2; Proverbs 13:16; Proverbs 18:6; 1 Peter 4:4; Ecclesiastes 5:3
- 4 Proverbs 25:15; Ecclesiastes 8:3; 1 Samuel 25:24–44
- 5 Ecclesiastes 5:13; Ecclesiastes 6:1; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Ecclesiastes 4:7; Ecclesiastes 3:16
- 6 Proverbs 28:12; Proverbs 29:2; Esther 3:1; Psalm 12:8; 1 Kings 12:13–14
- 7 Proverbs 19:10; Esther 6:8; Proverbs 30:22
- 8 Proverbs 26:27; Psalm 7:15–16; Esther 7:10; Amos 5:19; Psalm 9:15–16
- 10 James 1:5; Colossians 4:5; Ecclesiastes 10:15; 1 Corinthians 14:20; Ephesians 5:15–17
- 11 Jeremiah 8:17; Psalm 58:4–5; Psalm 52:2; Psalm 64:3; Proverbs 18:21
- 12 Colossians 4:6; Luke 4:22; Proverbs 15:2; Proverbs 22:11; Ephesians 4:29
- 13 1 Samuel 25:10–11; Proverbs 29:9; 1 Samuel 20:26–33; 1 Samuel 22:7–8; 2 Kings 6:27
- 14 Proverbs 15:2; Ecclesiastes 5:3; James 4:13–14; Ecclesiastes 8:7; Ecclesiastes 3:22
- 15 Isaiah 57:1; Jeremiah 50:4–5; Ecclesiastes 10:3; Psalm 107:7; Psalm 107:4
- 16 Isaiah 3:12; Isaiah 5:11–12; Isaiah 3:4–5; Proverbs 20:1–2; Jeremiah 21:12
- 17 Proverbs 31:4–5; Deuteronomy 14:26; Isaiah 5:11; Ecclesiastes 10:6–7; Jeremiah 30:21
- 18 Proverbs 14:1; Proverbs 24:30–34; Proverbs 20:4; Proverbs 21:25; Hebrews 6:11
- 19 Psalm 104:15; Philippians 4:15–19; Isaiah 24:11; Ecclesiastes 2:1–2; Luke 12:19
- 20 Acts 23:5; Luke 12:2–3; 2 Kings 6:12; Exodus 22:28; Ecclesiastes 7:21–22
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in season, in fortitude, and not in confusion!" He has called the devil a youth, because of the folly and pride, and rashness and unruliness, and other vices which are wont to abound at that age; but Christ is the Son of nobles, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Therefore saith the Preacher, If the spirit of him that hath power rise up against thee, quit not thy place.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)