Ecclesiastes 10 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Ecclesiastes 10 (WEBP)

[1] Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
[2] A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.
[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 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, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.
[6] Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
[7] I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.
[8] He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
[9] Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.
[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 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 gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
[13] The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
[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 labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
[16] Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
[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] By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
[19] A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
[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.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Ecclesiastes 10 (KJVS)

[1] Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
[2] A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.
[3] Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
[4] If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
[5] There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
[6] folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
[7] I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
[8] He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent 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 wisdom is profitable to direct.
[11] Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
[12] The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
[13] The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
[14] A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
[15] The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
[16] Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
[17] Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy 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.
[19] A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
[20] Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 Heb. Flies of death
Ecclesiastes 10:3 Heb. his heart
Ecclesiastes 10:5 Heb. from before
Ecclesiastes 10:6 Heb. in great heights
Ecclesiastes 10:11 Heb. the master of the tongue
Ecclesiastes 10:12 Heb. grace
Ecclesiastes 10:13 Heb. his mouth
Ecclesiastes 10:14 Heb. multiplieth words
Ecclesiastes 10:19 Heb. maketh glad the life
Ecclesiastes 10:20 Or, conscience

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Ecclesiastes 10 (BYZ)

[1] Μυῖαι θανατοῦσαι () σαπριοῦσιν σκευασίαν ἐλαίου () ἡδύσματος· τίμιον () ὀλίγον () σοφίας () ὑπὲρ () δόξαν () ἀφροσύνης () μεγάλης. ()
[2] Καρδία () σοφοῦ () εἰς () δεξιὸν () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () καρδία () ἄφρονος () εἰς () ἀριστερὸν () αὐτοῦ· ()
[3] καί () γε () ἐν () ὁδῷ () ὅταν () ἄφρων () πορεύηται, () καρδία () αὐτοῦ () ὑστερήσει, () καὶ () ἃ () λογιεῖται () πάντα () ἀφροσύνη () ἐστίν. ()
[4] Ἐὰν () πνεῦμα () τοῦ () ἐξουσιάζοντος () ἀναβῇ () ἐπὶ () σέ, () τόπον () σου () μὴ () ἀφῇς, () ὅτι () ἴαμα () καταπαύσει () ἁμαρτίας () μεγάλας. ()
[5] Ἔστιν () πονηρία, () ἣν () εἶδον () ὑπὸ () τὸν () ἥλιον, () ὡς () ἀκούσιον, ὃ () ἐξῆλθεν () ἀπὸ () προσώπου () τοῦ () ἐξουσιάζοντος· ()
[6] ἐδόθη () ὁ () ἄφρων () ἐν () ὕψεσι () μεγάλοις, () καὶ () πλούσιοι () ἐν () ταπεινῷ () καθήσονται· ()
[7] εἶδον () δούλους () ἐφ’ () ἵππους () καὶ () ἄρχοντας () πορευομένους () ὡς () δούλους () ἐπὶ () τῆς () γῆς. ()
[8] Ὁ () ὀρύσσων () βόθρον ἐν () αὐτῷ () ἐμπεσεῖται, () καὶ () καθαιροῦντα () φραγμόν, () δήξεται () αὐτὸν () ὄφις· ()
[9] ἐξαίρων () λίθους () διαπονηθήσεται () ἐν () αὐτοῖς, () σχίζων () ξύλα () κινδυνεύσει () ἐν () αὐτοῖς. ()
[10] Ἐὰν () ἐκπέσῃ () τὸ () σιδήριον, καὶ () αὐτὸς () πρόσωπον () ἐτάραξεν, () καὶ () δυνάμεις () δυναμώσει, () καὶ () περισσεία () τοῦ () ἀνδρείου σοφία. ()
[11] Ἐὰν () δάκῃ () ὁ () ὄφις () ἐν () οὐ () ψιθυρισμῷ, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () περισσεία () τῷ () ἐπᾴδοντι.
[12] Λόγοι () στόματος () σοφοῦ () χάρις, () καὶ () χείλη () ἄφρονος () καταποντιοῦσιν () αὐτόν· ()
[13] ἀρχὴ () λόγων () στόματος () αὐτοῦ () ἀφροσόνη, () καὶ () ἐσχάτη () στόματος () αὐτοῦ () περιφέρεια πονηρά· ()
[14] καὶ () ὁ () ἄφρων () πληθύνει () λόγους. () Οὐκ () ἔγνω () ὁ () ἄνθρωπος () τί () τὸ () γενόμενον, () καὶ () τί () τὸ () ἐσόμενον () ὀπίσω () αὐτοῦ, () τίς () ἀναγγελεῖ () αὐτῷ; ()
[15] Μόχθος () τῶν () ἀφρόνων () κοπώσει αὐτούς, () ὃς () οὐκ () ἔγνω () τοῦ () πορευθῆναι () εἰς () πόλιν. ()
[16] Οὐαί () σοι, () πόλις, () ἧς () ὁ () βασιλεύς () σου () νεώτερος () καὶ () οἱ () ἄρχοντές () σου () ἐν () πρωίᾳ () ἐσθίουσιν· ()
[17] μακαρία () σύ, () γῆ, () ἧς () ὁ () βασιλεύς () σου () υἱὸς () ἐλευθέρων () καὶ () οἱ () ἄρχοντές () σου () πρὸς () καιρὸν () φάγονται () ἐν () δυνάμει () καὶ () οὐκ () αἰσχυνθήσονται. ()
[18] Ἐν () ὀκνηρίαις ταπεινωθήσεται () ἡ () δόκωσις, καὶ () ἐν () ἀργίᾳ χειρῶν () στάξει ἡ () οἰκία. ()
[19] Εἰς () γέλωτα () ποιοῦσιν () ἄρτον, () καὶ () οἶνος () εὐφραίνει () ζῶντας, () καὶ () τοῦ () ἀργυρίου () ἐπακούσεται () σὺν () τὰ () πάντα. ()
[20] Καί () γε () ἐν () συνειδήσει () σου () βασιλέα () μὴ () καταράσῃ, () καὶ () ἐν () ταμιείοις () κοιτώνων () σου () μὴ () καταράσῃ () πλούσιον· () ὅτι () πετεινὸν τοῦ () οὐρανοῦ () ἀποίσει () σὺν () τὴν () φωνήν, () καὶ () ὁ () ἔχων () τὰς () πτέρυγας () ἀπαγγελεῖ () λόγον. ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.