Ecclesiastes 10:15
13 The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
14 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.
16 Woe to you, O land whose king is a youth, and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 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.
Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
- KJV
- The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
- WEB
- The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
- ASV
- The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
- DARBY
- The labour of fools wearieth them, because they know not how to go to the city.
- BLB
- The toil of fools wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
- ÅB
- Dårens strev tretter ham, han som ikke engang vet veien til byen.
- OTB
- Dårens slit trett ham; han vet ikke engang veien til byen.
- B1930
- Dårens strev tretter ham, han som ikke engang vet veien til byen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Isaiah 57:1
The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; devout men are swept away, while no one considers that the righteous are guided from the presence of evil.
Read in contextJeremiah 50:4–5
“In those days and at that time, declares the LORD, the children of Israel and the children of Judah will come together, weeping as they come, and will seek the LORD their God.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 10:3
Even as the fool walks along the road, his sense is lacking, and he shows everyone that he is a fool.
Read in contextPsalms 107:7
He led them on a straight path to reach a city where they could live.
Read in contextPsalms 107:4
Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell.
Read in contextIsaiah 35:8–10
And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it— only those who walk in the Way— and fools will not stray onto it.
Read in contextIsaiah 44:12–17
The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint.
Read in contextHabakkuk 2:6
Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’
Read in context