UNROLL
Extreme close view of an open clay flask of golden perfumed oil on a stone shelf, the oil clouded, a few dead flies floating in one small group.

Live while you live

Ecclesiastes 10

Years of good work. One stupid moment. Guess which one people remember.

20 verses≈ 3 minBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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Where we are

  1. 1Everything is futileThe Teacher states his case
  2. 2–6The searchPleasure, work, time, power, wealth
  3. 7–8What wisdom can and can't doNo one can find out what is coming
  4. 9–11Live while you liveDeath comes to all, so take the giftChapter 10
  5. 12Remember your CreatorFear God and keep His commandments

Wisdom and Folly

The Teacher

As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

A wise man’s heart inclines to the right,

but the heart of a fool to the left.

Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking,

and he shows everyone that he is a fool.

If the ruler’s temper flares against you, do not abandon your post,

for calmness lays great offenses to rest.

The Teacher
The Teacher

There is an evil I have seen under the sun—

an error that proceeds from the ruler:

Folly is appointed to great heights,

but the rich sit in lowly positions.

I have seen slaves on horseback,

while princes go on foot like slaves.

The Teacher
An old iron axe head with a chipped, blunt edge on a plain wood haft, lying on a half-split log among chips, a gray whetstone beside it.

Sayings

Work with your eyes open

  1. Risk

    The pit and the wall

    He who digs a pit may fall into it,

    and he who breaches a wall may be bitten by a snake.

  2. Stones and logs

    The one who quarries stones may be injured by them,

    and he who splits logs endangers himself.

  3. Skill

    The dull axe

    If the axe is dull and the blade unsharpened,

    more strength must be exerted,

    but skill produces success.

  4. Too late for the charmer

    If the snake bites before it is charmed,

    there is no profit for the charmer.

Live it

Take it home

Where are you swinging harder with a dull axe? What would stopping to sharpen it look like?

The Teacher

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,

but the lips of a fool consume him.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

The Teacher

The beginning of his talk is folly,

and the end of his speech is evil madness.

Yet the fool multiplies words.

No one knows what is coming,

and who can tell him what will come after him?

The toil of a fool wearies him,

for he does not know the way to the city.

Question

Quick question

Back to where the chapter started.

What does verse 1 say a little folly is like?

The Teacher
The Teacher

Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth,

and whose princes feast in the morning.

Blessed are you, O land whose king is a son of nobles,

and whose princes feast at the proper time—

for strength and not for drunkenness.

Inside a dim stone house in rain, a rafter sags, a patch of mud plaster has fallen through, and water drips steadily into a clay bowl on the floor.

Through laziness the roof caves in,

and in the hands of the idle, the house leaks.

A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry,

but money is the answer for everything.

From inside a dark room at dusk, a small brown bird on a stone sill beside a plain wooden lattice, head cocked as though listening, one clay lamp lit low.

Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,

or curse the rich even in your bedroom,

for a bird of the air may carry your words,

and a winged creature may report your speech.

0:11

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

You’ve experienced

Ecclesiastes 10

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A verse to carry with you

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.

Ecclesiastes 10:12

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