In this chapter, Solomon expresses some of his life discoveries in some one-liners. Here’s the chapter in its entirety: “Dead flies will cause even a bottle of perfume to stink! Yes, an ounce of foolishness can outweigh a pound of wisdom and honor. (Wow…how true this is.)
The hearts of the wise lead them to do right, and the hearts of the foolish lead them to do evil. You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street!
If your boss is angry with you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes. (Yes!!! That is good counsel.)
There is another evil I have seen as I have watched the world go by. Kings and rulers make a grave mistake if they give foolish people great authority, and if they fail to give people of proven worth their rightful place of dignity. I have even seen servants riding like princes – and princes walking like servants.
When you dig a well, you may fall in. When you demolish an old wall, you could be bitten by a snake. When you work in a quarry, stones might fall and crush you! When you chop wood, there is danger with each stroke of your ax! Such are the risks of life. (Yes, Lord. And when you mistreat others for years on top of years, it is likely those individuals you’ve mistreated will one day say, “enough is enough”, and walk away.)
Since a dull ax requires great strength, sharpen the blade. That’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed. (Yes, Lord! Open our minds to wisdom so we can succeed.)
It does no good to charm a snake after it has bitten you. (Wow…you just have to walk away.)
It is pleasant to listen to wise words, but the speech of fools brings them to ruin.
Since fools base their thoughts on foolish premises, their conclusions will be wicked madness.
Foolish people claim to know all about the future and tell everyone the details! But who can really know what is going to happen?
Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they have no strength for even the simplest tasks.
Destruction is certain for the land whose king is a child and whose leaders feast in the morning. Happy is the land whose king is a nobleman and whose leaders feast only to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot.
A party gives laughter, and wine gives happiness, and money gives everything!
Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of a rich man, either. A little bird may tell them what you have said.” (Ecclesiastes 10)
Lord, thank you for your Word today! Help us soak up your wisdom, and allow it to shape, guide, and prosper us. Lord, we love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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