| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Dead flies make a perfumer's oil stink, so a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor. | 1As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor. |
| 2A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left. | 2The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left. |
| 3Even when the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking and he demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. | 3Even as fools walk along the road, they lack sense and show everyone how stupid they are. |
| 4If the ruler's temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses. | 4If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest. |
| 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like an error which goes forth from the ruler-- | 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler: |
| 6folly is set in many exalted places while rich men sit in humble places. | 6Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones. |
| 7I have seen slaves riding on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land. | 7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves. |
| 8He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall. | 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. |
| 9He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them. | 9Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. |
| 10If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success. | 10If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success. |
| 11If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer. | 11If a snake bites before it is charmed, the charmer receives no fee. |
| 12Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him; | 12Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. |
| 13the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness. | 13At the beginning their words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness-- |
| 14Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him? | 14and fools multiply words. No one knows what is coming-- who can tell someone else what will happen after them? |
| 15The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city. | 15The toil of fools wearies them; they do not know the way to town. |
| 16Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning. | 16Woe to the land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning. |
| 17Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time-- for strength and not for drunkenness. | 17Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time-- for strength and not for drunkenness. |
| 18Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks. | 18Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks. |
| 19Men prepare a meal for enjoyment, and wine makes life merry, and money is the answer to everything. | 19A feast is made for laughter, wine makes life merry, and money is the answer for everything. |
| 20Furthermore, in your bedchamber do not curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich man, for a bird of the heavens will carry the sound and the winged creature will make the matter known. | 20Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird in the sky may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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