| New King James Version | NET 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. | 1One dead fly makes the perfumer's ointment give off a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom. |
| 2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, But a fool’s heart at his left. | 2A wise person's good sense protects him, but a fool's lack of sense leaves him vulnerable. |
| 3Even when a fool walks along the way, He lacks wisdom, And he shows everyone that he is a fool. | 3Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is. |
| 4If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses. | 4If the anger of the ruler flares up against you, do not resign from your position, for a calm response can undo great offenses. |
| 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error proceeding from the ruler: | 5I have seen another misfortune on the earth: It is an error a ruler makes. |
| 6Folly is set in great dignity, While the rich sit in a lowly place. | 6Fools are placed in many positions of authority, while wealthy men sit in lowly positions. |
| 7I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants. | 7I have seen slaves on horseback and princes walking on foot like slaves. |
| 8He who digs a pit will fall into it, And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent. | 8One who digs a pit may fall into it, and one who breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. |
| 9He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, And he who splits wood may be endangered by it. | 9One who quarries stones may be injured by them; one who splits logs may be endangered by them. |
| 10If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success. | 10If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success. |
| 11A serpent may bite when it is not charmed; The babbler is no different. | 11If the snake should bite before it is charmed, the snake charmer is in trouble. |
| 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 person win him favor, but the words of a fool are self-destructive. |
| 13The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. | 13At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness, |
| 14A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him? | 14yet a fool keeps on babbling. No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future? |
| 15The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city! | 15The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city. |
| 16Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, And your princes feast in the morning! | 16Woe to you, O land, when your king is childish, and your 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! | 17Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time--with self-control and not in drunkenness. |
| 18Because of laziness the building decays, And through idleness of hands the house leaks. | 18Because of laziness the roof caves in, and because of idle hands the house leaks. |
| 19A feast is made for laughter, And wine makes merry; But money answers everything. | 19Feasts are made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for 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 a king even in your thoughts, and do not curse the rich while in your bedroom; for a bird might report what you are thinking, or some winged creature might repeat your words. |
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