Ecclesiastes 10:15
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
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!
17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, 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 perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Read in contextJeremiah 50:4–5
In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.
Read in contextEcclesiastes 10:3
Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
Read in contextPsalms 107:7
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
Read in contextPsalms 107:4
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.
Read in contextIsaiah 35:8–10
And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Read in contextIsaiah 44:12–17
The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.
Read in contextHabakkuk 2:6
Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!
Read in context