| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, And cause it to give off a foul odor; So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor. | 1As dead flies cause the perfumer's ointment to stink, so also does a little foolishness to one's reputation of wisdom and honor. |
| 2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left. | 2A wise man's heart tends toward his right, but a fool's heart tends toward his left. |
| 3Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool. | 3Furthermore, the way a fool lives shows he has no sense; he proclaims to everyone that he's a fool. |
| 4If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses. | 4If your overseer gets angry at you, don't resign, because calmness pacifies great offenses. |
| 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler: | 5Here's another tragedy that I've observed on earth, a kind of error that comes from an overseer: |
| 6Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. | 6Foolishness is given great honor, while the prosperous sit in lowly places. |
| 7I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. | 7And I have observed servants riding on horses, while princes walk on the ground like servants. |
| 8He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. | 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it, and whoever breaks through a wall may suffer a snake bite. |
| 9He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be endangered by it. | 9Someone who quarries stone might be injured; someone splitting logs can fall into danger. |
| 10If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success. | 10If someone's ax is blunt—the edge isn't sharpened— then more strength will be needed. Putting wisdom to work will bring success. |
| 11A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different. | 11If a serpent strikes despite being charmed, there's no point in being a snake charmer. |
| 12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; | 12The words spoken by the wise are gracious, but the lips of a fool will devour him. |
| 13The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. | 13He begins his speech with foolishness, and concludes it with evil madness. |
| 14A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him? | 14The fool overflows with words, and no one can predict what will happen. As to what will happen after him, who can explain it? |
| 15The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city! | 15The work of a fool so wears him out that he can't even find his way to town. |
| 16Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! | 16Woe to the land whose king is a youth and whose princes feast in the morning. |
| 17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, And your princes feast at the proper time— For strength and not for drunkenness! | 17That land is blessed whose king is of noble birth, whose princes feast at the right time, for strength, and not to become drunk. |
| 18Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. | 18Through slothfulness the roof deteriorates, and a house leaks because of idleness. |
| 19A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. | 19Festivals are for laughter, wine makes life pleasant, and money speaks to everything. |
| 20Do not curse the king, even in your thought; Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; For a bird of the air may carry your voice, And a bird in flight may tell the matter. | 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. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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