| International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1As dead flies cause the perfumer's ointment to stink, so also does a little foolishness to one's reputation of wisdom and honor. | 1As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. |
| 2A wise man's heart tends toward his right, but a fool's heart tends toward his left. | 2A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. |
| 3Furthermore, the way a fool lives shows he has no sense; he proclaims to everyone that he's a fool. | 3You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! |
| 4If your overseer gets angry at you, don't resign, because calmness pacifies great offenses. | 4If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. The Ironies of Life |
| 5Here's another tragedy that I've observed on earth, a kind of error that comes from an overseer: | 5There is another evil I have seen under the sun. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake |
| 6Foolishness is given great honor, while the prosperous sit in lowly places. | 6when they give great authority to foolish people and low positions to people of proven worth. |
| 7And I have observed servants riding on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants. | 7I have even seen servants riding horseback like princes—and princes walking like servants! |
| 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall may suffer a snake bite. | 8When you dig a well, you might fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. |
| 9Someone who quarries stone might be injured; someone splitting logs can fall into danger. | 9When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you. When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax. |
| 10If someone's ax is blunt—the edge isn't sharpened— then more strength will be needed. Putting wisdom to work will bring success. | 10Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. |
| 11If a serpent strikes despite being charmed, there's no point in being a snake charmer. | 11If a snake bites before you charm it, what’s the use of being a snake charmer? |
| 12The words spoken by the wise are gracious, but the lips of a fool will devour him. | 12Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. |
| 13He begins his speech with foolishness, and concludes it with evil madness. | 13Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; |
| 14The fool overflows with words, and no one can predict what will happen. As to what will happen after him, who can explain it? | 14they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. |
| 15The work of a fool so wears him out that he can't even find his way to town. | 15Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can’t even find their way home. |
| 16Woe to the land whose king is a youth and whose princes feast in the morning. | 16What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant, the land whose leaders feast in the morning. |
| 17That land is blessed whose king is of noble birth, whose princes feast at the right time, for strength, and not to become drunk. | 17Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader and whose leaders feast at the proper time to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk. |
| 18Through slothfulness the roof deteriorates, and a house leaks because of idleness. | 18Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house. |
| 19Festivals are for laughter, wine makes life pleasant, and money speaks to everything. | 19A party gives laughter, wine gives happiness, and money gives everything! |
| 20Do not curse the king, even in your thoughts. Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom. For a bird will fly by and tell what you say, or something with wings may talk about it. | 20Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said. |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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