Ecclesiastes · 20 verses
Ecclesiastes 10
Every verse links to the people and places named in it, and to the passages readers connect it with.
The chapter
What happens here
Atlas's own reading, written from this chapter and nothing else, and published only once a person has approved it. Each scene names the verses it covers; the names inside it link to the people and places they name.
The fool’s grand progress ends at a destination so ordinary it becomes a small catastrophe: he does not know the way to the city.
A little folly, and the ruler’s tempervv. 1–7
A dead fly is enough to turn perfumer’s oil sour, and a little folly can outweigh wisdom and honour. The wise heart inclines one way, the fool’s another; the fool then walks along the road displaying the deficiency quite openly. When a ruler’s temper flares, calmness is set against the great offense. Yet the ruler himself may be the source of the evil: folly is raised high, while the rich sit low and slaves ride horses as princes go on foot.
Pits, snakes, axes, and the cityvv. 8–15
Work becomes a catalogue of hazards: the pit receives its digger, the breached wall has a snake in it, stones injure the quarryman, and logs endanger the splitter. A dull axe demands more strength, though skill succeeds; a snake biting before it is charmed leaves the charmer with no profit at all. The wise man’s words are gracious, whereas the fool’s speech consumes him from folly into evil madness, multiplying words about what nobody knows. Then all that toil winds up in the most mundane of destinations: the fool does not know the way to the city.
A land under its kingvv. 16–20
A land fares badly when its young king and morning-feasting princes are in charge; it fares well when its king is noble-born and its princes feast at the proper time, for strength rather than drunkenness. Laziness lets the roof cave in and the house leak. A feast is for laughter, wine makes life merry, and then money is declared the answer for everything—a remarkably brisk conclusion. Even thoughts in a bedroom are not safe from report: a bird of the air may carry a curse against the king or the rich, and a winged creature may report it.
The text
Read it
Berean Standard Bible, public domain. Names the Hebrew and Greek put in the verse link to the person, place or people they name; the address beside each verse is a link to that verse, which is what a reader copies and shares.
Eccl 10:1As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Eccl 10:2A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.
Eccl 10:3Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
Eccl 10:4If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post, for calmness lays great offenses to rest.
Eccl 10:5There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler:
Eccl 10:6Folly is appointed to great heights, but the rich sit in lowly positions.
Eccl 10:7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
Eccl 10:8He who digs a pit may fall into it, and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.
Eccl 10:9The one who quarries stones may be injured by them, and he who splits logs endangers himself.
Eccl 10:10If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened, more strength must be exerted, but skill produces success.
Eccl 10:11If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
Eccl 10:12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
Eccl 10:13The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
Eccl 10:14Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?
Eccl 10:15The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
Eccl 10:16Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
Eccl 10:17Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes feast at the proper time—for strength and not for drunkenness.
Eccl 10:18Through laziness the roof caves in, and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.
Eccl 10:19A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
Eccl 10:20Do not curse the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air may carry your words, and a winged creature may report your speech.
02 — Read alongside
Where this is echoed
Readers' own connections, from OpenBible's crowd-voted cross-references — agreement about relevance, and not scholarly confidence. 206 passages were voted onto 19 verses of this chapter; the 16 shown lead on votes, and each is listed at the verse it was voted onto most strongly.
- 12Colossians 4:6Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- 4Proverbs 25:15Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
- 20Acts 23:5“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
- 4Ecclesiastes 8:3Do not hasten to leave his presence, and do not persist in a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases.
- 8Proverbs 26:27He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
- 10James 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- 20Luke 12:2–3There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.
- 10Colossians 4:5Act wisely toward outsiders, redeeming the time.
- 16Isaiah 3:12Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.
- 18Proverbs 14:1Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.
- 7Proverbs 19:10Luxury is unseemly for a fool—how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!
- 10Ecclesiastes 10:15The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
- 12Luke 4:22All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked.
- 202 Kings 6:12But one of his servants replied, “No one, my lord the king. For Elisha, the prophet in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
- 41 Samuel 25:24–44She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.
- 7Esther 6:8have them bring a royal robe that the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden—one with a royal crest placed on its head.
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