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 Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.
3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
3 Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
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 If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.
6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.
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 He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
9 Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.
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 If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
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 If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
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 A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
15 The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
16 Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
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 Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
18 By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
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 Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.
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)