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Ecclesiastes 10

Ecclesiastes 10 traces how folly damages speech, work, and government, while wisdom shows itself in restraint and skill.

The teacher describes how a little folly can spoil wisdom and honor, then turns to anger at court and rulers who put fools in high places. Images of dangerous work, a blunt ax, and a snake charmer show the value of skill and timing. Speech exposes the difference between wisdom and foolishness. The closing sayings concern rulers’ appetites, neglected houses, money, and the danger of speaking against the powerful, even in private.

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1Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.
3Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
4If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.
6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
7I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.
8He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
10If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.
12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
15The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
17Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes the life glad; and money is the answer for all things.
20Don’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.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Ecclesiastes 10:12Gracious speech marks the wise, while the fool’s own words begin the collapse described in the following verses.
Ecclesiastes 10:4Gentleness offers a measured response to a ruler’s anger within a chapter alert to the failures of power.
Ecclesiastes 10:8The pit and broken wall introduce work’s dangers, preparing for the chapter’s emphasis on skill and preparation.
Where this chapter reaches

Proverbs shares the contrast between gracious speech and destructive words, along with the observation that a gentle response can quiet anger; Ephesians and Colossians also commend speech that benefits its hearers. Psalm shares the image of someone falling into a pit that person has dug.

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After reading the whole chapter

Which image in this chapter best exposes a cost of folly you have seen?

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Where might greater skill or preparation change how you approach work that now wears you out?

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Questions people ask about Ecclesiastes 10

What does Ecclesiastes 10:2 mean by the right and left hand?

The right and left function as contrasting images for the direction of a person’s judgment. In the ancient setting, the right hand was associated with strength and honor. The next verse shows folly becoming visible in conduct. The saying makes no claim about whether someone is right-handed or left-handed.

Does Ecclesiastes 10:19 say money solves everything?

The statement appears among sayings about feasting, rulers, and the upkeep of a house. Money supplies the means for many practical needs and pleasures. The chapter also names problems that require wisdom, skill, and restraint. Its wording does not establish that wealth can cure every human trouble.

What does the bird mean in Ecclesiastes 10:20?

The bird is an image of how private speech can reach unexpected ears. The verse warns that words against a king or a rich person may travel beyond the room where they were spoken. It names no specific informer or means of discovery, leaving the route of exposure uncertain.

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Ecclesiastes · 12 chapters
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).