Ecclesiastes 10:14
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Yet the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming, and who can tell him what will come after him?
- KJV
- A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
- WEB
- A fool also multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
- ASV
- A fool also multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
- DARBY
- And the fool multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will tell him?
- BLB
- And the fool multiplies words. Man does not know what will come to be, and of what will come to be after him, who can declare [it] to him?
- ÅB
- Dåren taler mange ord, enda mennesket ikke vet hva som skal hende, og hvem sier ham hva som skal hende etter hans tid?
- OTB
- Likevel mangfoldiggjør dåren ord. Ingen vet hva som vil skje, og hvem kan fortelle ham hva som vil komme etter ham?
- B1930
- Dåren taler mange ord, enda mennesket ikke vet hvad som skal hende, og hvem sier ham hvad som skal hende efter hans tid?
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 5:3
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.
Read in contextJames 4:13–14
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Read in contextEcclesiastes 8:7
For he knoweth not that which shall be: for who can tell him when it shall be?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 3:22
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Read in contextEcclesiastes 6:12
For who knoweth what is good for man in this life, all the days of his vain life which he spendeth as a shadow? for who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?
Read in contextProverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
Read in contextJob 35:16
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.
Read in context