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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width; initial-scale=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Ecclesiastes 10 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ecclesiastes/10.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmcc/ecclesiastes/10-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</a> > Ecclesiastes 10</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ecclesiastes/9.htm" title="Ecclesiastes 9">◄</a> Ecclesiastes 10 <a href="../ecclesiastes/11.htm" title="Ecclesiastes 11">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch25010" class="chapter"> <h1 id="cn25010" class="cn"></h1> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf"><span id="v25010001" class="ver">1</span>Dead flies corrupt and spoil the perfumer’s oil;</p> <p class="sl1">more weighty than wisdom or wealth is a little folly!<a id="rfn25010001-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010001-1">*</a></p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010002" class="ver">2</span>The wise heart turns to the right;</p> <p class="sl1l">the foolish heart to the left.<a id="rfn25010002-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010002-1">*</a></p> </div> <p><span id="v25010003" class="ver">3</span>Even when walking in the street the fool, lacking understanding, calls everyone a fool.<a id="rfn25010003-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010003-1">*</a></p> <p><span id="v25010004" class="ver">4</span>Should the anger of a ruler burst upon you, do not yield your place; for calmness<a id="rfn25010004-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010004-1">*</a> abates great offenses.</p> <p><span id="v25010005" class="ver">5</span>I have seen under the sun another evil, like a mistake that proceeds from a tyrant: <span id="v25010006" class="ver">6</span>a fool put in high position, while the great and the rich sit in lowly places. <span id="v25010007" class="ver">7</span>I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes<a id="rfn25010007-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010007-1">*</a> went on foot like slaves.</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf"><span id="v25010008" class="ver">8</span>Whoever digs a pit may fall into it,<a id="ren25010008-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en25010008-a">a</a></p> <p class="sl1">and whoever breaks through a wall, a snake may bite.</p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010009" class="ver">9</span>Whoever quarries stones may be hurt by them,</p> <p class="sl1l">and whoever chops wood<a id="rfn25010009-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010009-1">*</a> is in danger from it.</p> </div> <p><span id="v25010010" class="ver">10</span>If the ax becomes dull, and the blade is not sharpened, then effort must be increased. But the advantage of wisdom is success.</p> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf"><span id="v25010011" class="ver">11</span>If the snake bites before it is charmed,</p> <p class="sl1">then there is no advantage in a charmer.<a id="rfn25010011-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010011-1">*</a></p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010012" class="ver">12</span>Words from the mouth of the wise win favor,</p> <p class="sl1">but the lips of fools consume them.</p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010013" class="ver">13</span><a id="ren25010013-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en25010013-b">b</a> The beginning of their words is folly,</p> <p class="sl1">and the end of their talk is utter madness;</p> <p class="sl1"><span id="v25010014" class="ver">14</span>yet fools multiply words.</p> <p class="sl">No one knows what is to come,</p> <p class="sl1">for who can tell anyone what will be?<a id="ren25010014-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en25010014-c">c</a></p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010015" class="ver">15</span>The toil of fools wearies them,</p> <p class="sl1">so they do not know even the way to town.</p> </div> <section> <h2 class="ah">No One Knows What Evil Will Come</h2> <div class="senseline"> <p class="slf"><span id="v25010016" class="ver">16</span>Woe to you, O land, whose king is a youth,<a id="rfn25010016-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010016-1">*</a></p> <p class="sl1">and whose princes feast in the morning!</p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010017" class="ver">17</span>Happy are you, O land, whose king is of noble birth,</p> <p class="sl1">and whose princes dine at the right time—</p> <p class="sl1">for vigor<a id="rfn25010017-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010017-1">*</a> and not in drinking bouts.</p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010018" class="ver">18</span>Because of laziness, the rafters sag;</p> <p class="sl1">when hands are slack, the house leaks.</p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010019" class="ver">19</span>A feast is made for merriment</p> <p class="sl1">and wine gives joy to the living,</p> <p class="sl1">but money answers<a id="rfn25010019-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010019-1">*</a> for everything.</p> <p class="sl"><span id="v25010020" class="ver">20</span>Even in your thoughts do not curse the king,</p> <p class="sl1">nor in the privacy of your bedroom curse the rich;</p> <p class="sl">For the birds of the air may carry your voice,</p> <p class="sl1">a winged creature<a id="rfn25010020-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn25010020-1">*</a> may tell what you say.</p> </div> </section> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. 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