Ecclesiastes 9:13–10:20
13 This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14 mThere was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great 4snares around it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.
“Wisdom is better than nstrength.
Nevertheless othe poor man’s wisdom is despised,
And his words are not heard.
17 Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard
Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.
18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war;
But pone sinner destroys much good.”
10 Dead 1flies 2putrefy 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,
bDo not leave your post;
For cconciliation 3pacifies great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
6 dFolly is set in 4great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.
7 I have seen servants eon horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.
8 fHe 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.
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom 5brings success.
11 A serpent may bite gwhen it is not charmed;
The 6babbler is no different.
12 hThe words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But ithe 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 jA fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him kwhat will be after him?
15 The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!
16 lWoe 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 mprinces feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
18 Because of laziness the 7building decays,
And nthrough idleness of hands the house leaks.
19 A feast is made for laughter,
And owine makes merry;
But money answers everything.
20 pDo 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.