Ecclesiastes 10 | Biblion Bible Reader

WEB·Ecclesiastes 11

¹Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

KJVCast^H7971^(H8761) thy bread^H3899 upon^H6440 the waters^H4325: for thou shalt find^H4672^(H8799) it after many^H7230 days^H3117.

² Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don’t know what evil will be on the earth.

KJVGive^H5414^(H8798) a portion^H2506 to seven^H7651, and also to eight^H8083; for thou knowest^H3045^(H8799) not what evil^H7451 shall be upon the earth^H776.

³ If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

KJVIf the clouds^H5645 be full^H4390^(H8735) of rain^H1653, they empty^H7324^(H8686) themselves upon the earth^H776: and if the tree^H6086 fall^H5307^(H8799) toward the south^H1864, or toward the north^H6828, in the place^H4725 where the tree^H6086 falleth^H5307^(H8799), there it shall be^H1933^(H8799).

⁴ He who observes the wind won’t sow; and he who regards the clouds won’t reap.

KJVHe that observeth^H8104^(H8802) the wind^H7307 shall not sow^H2232^(H8799); and he that regardeth^H7200^(H8802) the clouds^H5645 shall not reap^H7114^(H8799).

⁵ As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all.

KJVAs thou knowest^H3045^(H8802) not what is the way^H1870 of the spirit^H7307, nor how the bones^H6106 do grow in the womb^H990 of her that is with child^H4392: even so thou knowest^H3045^(H8799) not the works^H4639 of God^H430 who maketh^H6213^(H8799) all.

⁶ In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don’t withhold your hand; for you don’t know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.

KJVIn the morning^H1242 sow^H2232^(H8798) thy seed^H2233, and in the evening^H6153 withhold^H3240^(H8686) not thine hand^H3027: for thou knowest^H3045^(H8802) not whether^H335 shall prosper^H3787^(H8799), either this or that, or whether they both^H8147 shall be alike^H259 good^H2896.

⁷ Truly the light is sweet, and it is a pleasant thing for the eyes to see the sun.

KJVTruly the light^H216 is sweet^H4966, and a pleasant^H2896 thing it is for the eyes^H5869 to behold^H7200^(H8800) the sun^H8121:

⁸ Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

KJVBut if a man^H120 live^H2421^(H8799) many^H7235^(H8687) years^H8141, and rejoice^H8055^(H8799) in them all; yet let him remember^H2142^(H8799) the days^H3117 of darkness^H2822; for they shall be many^H7235^(H8687). All that cometh^H935^(H8804) is vanity^H1892.

⁹ Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

KJVRejoice^H8055^(H8798), O young man^H970, in thy youth^H3208; and let thy heart^H3820 cheer^H2895^(H8686) thee in the days^H3117 of thy youth^H979, and walk^H1980^(H8761) in the ways^H1870 of thine heart^H3820, and in the sight^H4758 of thine eyes^H5869: but know^H3045^(H8798) thou, that for all these things God^H430 will bring^H935^(H8686) thee into judgment^H4941.

¹⁰ Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

KJVTherefore remove^H5493^(H8685) sorrow^H3708 from thy heart^H3820, and put away^H5674^(H8685) evil^H7451 from thy flesh^H1320: for childhood^H3208 and youth^H7839 are vanity^H1892.

WEB·Ecclesiastes 10

¹Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

KJVDead^H4194 flies^H2070 cause the ointment^H8081 of the apothecary^H7543^(H8802) to send forth^H5042^(H8686) a stinking savour^H887^(H8686): so doth a little^H4592 folly^H5531 him that is in reputation^H3368 for wisdom^H2451 and honour^H3519.

² A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.

KJVA wise man's^H2450 heart^H3820 is at his right hand^H3225; but a fool's^H3684 heart^H3820 at his left^H8040.

³ Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

KJVYea also, when he that is a fool^H5530 walketh^H1980^(H8802) by the way^H1870, his wisdom^H3820 faileth^H2638 him, and he saith^H559^(H8804) to every one that he is a fool^H5530.

⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.

KJVIf the spirit^H7307 of the ruler^H4910^(H8802) rise up^H5927^(H8799) against thee, leave^H3240^(H8686) not thy place^H4725; for yielding^H4832 pacifieth^H3240^(H8686) great^H1419 offences^H2399.

⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.

KJVThere is^H3426 an evil^H7451 which I have seen^H7200^(H8804) under the sun^H8121, as an error^H7684 which proceedeth^H3318^(H8802) from^H6440 the ruler^H7989:

⁶ Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.

KJVFolly^H5529 is set^H5414^(H8738) in great^H7227 dignity^H4791, and the rich^H6223 sit^H3427^(H8799) in low place^H8216.

⁷ I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.

KJVI have seen^H7200^(H8804) servants^H5650 upon horses^H5483, and princes^H8269 walking^H1980^(H8802) as servants^H5650 upon the earth^H776.

⁸ He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.

KJVHe that diggeth^H2658^(H8802) a pit^H1475 shall fall^H5307^(H8799) into it; and whoso breaketh^H6555^(H8802) an hedge^H1447, a serpent^H5175 shall bite^H5391^(H8799) him.

⁹ Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.

KJVWhoso removeth^H5265^(H8688) stones^H68 shall be hurt^H6087^(H8735) therewith; and he that cleaveth^H1234^(H8802) wood^H6086 shall be endangered^H5533^(H8735) thereby.

¹⁰ If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.

KJVIf the iron^H1270 be blunt^H6949^(H8765), and he do not whet^H7043^(H8773) the edge^H6440, then must he put^H1396^(H8762) to more strength^H2428: but wisdom^H2451 is profitable^H3504 to direct^H3787^(H8687).

¹¹ If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.

KJVSurely the serpent^H5175 will bite^H5391^(H8799) without enchantment^H3908; and a babbler^H3956^H1167 is no better^H3504.

¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.

KJVThe words^H1697 of a wise man's^H2450 mouth^H6310 are gracious^H2580; but the lips^H8193 of a fool^H3684 will swallow up^H1104^(H8762) himself.

¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

KJVThe beginning^H8462 of the words^H1697 of his mouth^H6310 is foolishness^H5531: and the end^H319 of his talk^H6310 is mischievous^H7451 madness^H1948.

¹⁴ A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?

KJVA fool^H5530 also is full^H7235^(H8686) of words^H1697: a man^H120 cannot tell^H3045^(H8799) what shall be; and what shall be after^H310 him, who can tell^H5046^(H8686) him?

¹⁵ The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.

KJVThe labour^H5999 of the foolish^H3684 wearieth^H3021^(H8762) every one of them, because he knoweth^H3045^(H8804) not how to go^H3212^(H8800) to the city^H5892.

¹⁶ Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!

KJVWoe^H337 to thee, O land^H776, when thy king^H4428 is a child^H5288, and thy princes^H8269 eat^H398^(H8799) in the morning^H1242!

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!

KJVBlessed^H835 art thou, O land^H776, when thy king^H4428 is the son^H1121 of nobles^H2715, and thy princes^H8269 eat^H398^(H8799) in due season^H6256, for strength^H1369, and not for drunkenness^H8358!

¹⁸ By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.

KJVBy much slothfulness^H6103 the building^H4746 decayeth^H4355^(H8735); and through idleness^H8220 of the hands^H3027 the house^H1004 droppeth through^H1811^(H8799).

¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.

KJVA feast^H3899 is made^H6213^(H8802) for laughter^H7814, and wine^H3196 maketh merry^H8055^(H8762)^H2416: but money^H3701 answereth^H6030^(H8799) 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.

KJVCurse^H7043^(H8762) not the king^H4428, no not in thy thought^H4093; and curse^H7043^(H8762) not the rich^H6223 in thy bedchamber^H2315^H4904: for a bird^H5775 of the air^H8064 shall carry^H3212^(H8686) the voice^H6963, and that which hath^H1167 wings^H3671 shall tell^H5046^(H8686) the matter^H1697.

Section titles come from the Biblion commentary, not from Scripture.

You can also read or listen to the Introduction to the book of Ecclesiastes.