Ecclesiastes 10 — FBV

10Verse 1Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.^{Verse 2}The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!^{Verse 3}Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.^{Verse 4}If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.^{Verse 5}I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake^{Verse 6}when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified⁺are put in low positions.^{Verse 7}I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.^{+Verse 8}If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.^{Verse 9}If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs,⁺you could be hurt.^{Verse 10}If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion:⁺being wise brings good results.^{Verse 11}If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!^{Verse 12}Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.^{Verse 13}Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.^{Verse 14}Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?^{+Verse 15}Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.^{+Verse 16}You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.^{Verse 17}You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.^{Verse 18}Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.^{Verse 19}A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.^{Verse 20}Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders,⁺even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.