| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 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. | 1Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. |
| 2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left. | 2A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. |
| 3Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool. | 3Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. |
| 4If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses. | 4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences. |
| 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler: | 5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: |
| 6Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. | 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. |
| 7I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. | 7I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth. |
| 8He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. | 8He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him. |
| 9He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be endangered by it. | 9Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby. |
| 10If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success. | 10If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct. |
| 11A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different. | 11Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. |
| 12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; | 12The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. |
| 13The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. | 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. |
| 14A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him? | 14A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? |
| 15The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city! | 15The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. |
| 16Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! | 16Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat 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! | 17Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness! |
| 18Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. | 18By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through. |
| 19A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. | 19A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. |
| 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. | 20Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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