Ecclesiastes 10-12

New American Standard Bible

A Little Foolishness

10 Dead flies turn a ^(A)perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more ^[a]potent than wisdom and honor. ² A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish ^(B)person’s heart directs him toward the left. ³ Even when the fool walks along the road, his ^[b]sense is lacking, and he ^[c](C)demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. ⁴ If the ruler’s ^[d]temper rises against you, ^(D)do not abandon your place, because ^(E)composure puts great offenses to rest.

⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: ^6 (F)foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places. ⁷ I have seen ^(G)slaves riding ^(H)on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.

^8 (I)One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a ^(J)serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall. ⁹ One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them. ¹⁰ If the ^[e]axe is dull and he does not sharpen its ^[f]edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success. ¹¹ If the serpent bites ^[g](K)before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer. ^12 (L)Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a ^(M)fool consume him; ¹³ the beginning of ^[h]his talking is foolishness, and the end of ^[i]it is evil ^(N)insanity. ¹⁴ Yet the ^(O)fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him ^(P)what will come after him? ¹⁵ The labor of ^[j]a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. ¹⁶ Woe to you, land whose ^(Q)king is a boy, and whose princes ^[k]feast in the morning. ¹⁷ Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for ^(R)drunkenness. ¹⁸ Through ^(S)extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. ¹⁹ People prepare a meal for enjoyment, ^(T)wine makes life joyful, and ^(U)money ^[l]is the answer to everything. ²⁰ Furthermore, ^(V)in your bedroom do not ^(W)curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.

Cast Your Bread on the Waters

11 ^(X)Cast your bread on the surface of the waters, for you ^(Y)will find it ^[m]after many days. ^2 (Z)Divide your portion to seven, or even to eight, for you do not know what ^(AA)misfortune may occur on the earth. ³ If the clouds are full, they pour out rain on the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it ^[n]lies. ⁴ One who watches the wind will not sow and one who looks at the clouds will not harvest. ⁵ Just as you do not ^(AB)know the path of the ^[o]wind, and ^(AC)how bones are formed in the womb of the ^[p]pregnant woman, so you do not ^(AD)know the activity of God who makes everything.

⁶ Sow your seed ^(AE)in the morning and do not ^[q]be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether ^[r]one or the other will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good.

⁷ The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to ^(AF)see the sun. ⁸ Indeed, if a person lives many years, let him ^(AG)rejoice in them all; but let him remember the ^(AH)days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything that is to come will be futility.

⁹ Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the ^[s]impulses of your heart and the ^[t](AI)desires of your eyes. Yet know that ^(AJ)God will bring you to judgment for all these things. ¹⁰ So remove ^[u]sorrow from your heart and keep ^[v](AK)pain away from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are ^[w]fleeting.

Remember God in Your Youth

12 ^(AL)Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the ^(AM)evil days come and the years approach when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; ² before the ^(AN)sun and the light, the moon and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain; ³ on the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and strong men are ^(AO)bent over, the grinders stop working because they are few, and ^(AP)those who look through ^[x]windows grow ^[y]dim; ⁴ and the doors on the street are shut as the ^(AQ)sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the ^(AR)daughters of song will ^[z]sing softly. ⁵ Furthermore, people are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and the caper berry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal ^(AS)home while the ^(AT)mourners move around in the street. ⁶ Remember your Creator before the silver cord is ^[aa]broken and the ^(AU)golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the spring is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; ⁷ then the ^(AV)dust will return to the earth as it was, and the ^[ab](AW)spirit will return to ^(AX)God who gave it. ⁸ “^(AY)Futility of futilities,” says the Preacher, “all is futility!”

Purpose of the Preacher

⁹ In addition to being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge; and he pondered, searched out, and arranged ^(AZ)many proverbs. ¹⁰ The Preacher sought to find ^(BA)delightful words and to write ^(BB)words of truth correctly.

¹¹ The ^(BC)words of the wise are like ^[ac](BD)goads, and masters of these collections are like driven ^(BE)nails; they are given by one Shepherd. ¹² But beyond this, my son, be warned: the ^[ad]writing of ^(BF)many books is endless, and excessive ^(BG)study is ^[ae]wearying to the body.

¹³ The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: ^(BH)fear God and ^(BI)keep His commandments, because this applies to ^(BJ)every person. ¹⁴ For ^(BK)God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.