Ecclesiastes 10:1

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.

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Referenced Verses

  • Matt 5:13-16 : 13 You are the salt of the earth; but if its taste goes from the salt, how will you make it salt again? it is then good for nothing but to be put out and crushed under foot by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A town put on a hill may be seen by all. 15 And a burning light is not put under a vessel, but on its table; so that its rays may be shining on all who are in the house. 16 Even so let your light be shining before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
  • Gal 2:12-14 : 12 For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews went after him, so that even Barnabas was overcome by their false ways. 14 But when I saw that they were not living uprightly in agreement with the true words of the good news, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, being a Jew, are living like the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, how will you make the Gentiles do the same as the Jews?
  • Exod 30:25 : 25 And make these into a holy oil, a perfume made by the art of the perfume-maker; it is to be a holy oil.
  • Exod 30:34-35 : 34 And the Lord said to Moses, Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, with the best frankincense, in equal weights; 35 And make from them a perfume, such as is made by the art of the perfume-maker, mixed with salt, and clean and holy.
  • 2 Chr 19:2 : 2 And Jehu, the son of Hanani the seer, went to King Jehoshaphat and said to him, Is it right for you to go to the help of evil-doers, loving the haters of the Lord? because of this, the wrath of the Lord has come on you.
  • Neh 6:13 : 13 For this reason they had given him money, in order that I might be overcome by fear and do what he said and do wrong, and so they would have reason to say evil about me and put shame on me.
  • Neh 13:26 : 26 Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Eccl 10:2-3
    2 verses
    78%

    2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.

    3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

  • 10 He who makes signs with his eyes is a cause of trouble, but he who makes a man see his errors is a cause of peace.

  • 23 It is sport to the foolish man to do evil, but the man of good sense takes delight in wisdom.

  • 71%

    12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

    13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.

  • 16 A sharp man does everything with knowledge, but a foolish man makes clear his foolish thoughts.

  • 16 Of the wise man, as of the foolish man, there is no memory for ever, seeing that those who now are will have gone from memory in the days to come. See how death comes to the wise as to the foolish!

  • 8 The wise-hearted man will let himself be ruled, but the man whose talk is foolish will have a fall.

  • Prov 14:7-8
    2 verses
    70%

    7 Go away from the foolish man, for you will not see the lips of knowledge.

    8 The wisdom of the man of good sense makes his way clear; but the unwise behaviour of the foolish is deceit.

  • 24 Their wisdom is a crown to the wise, but their foolish behaviour is round the head of the unwise.

  • 33 Wisdom has her resting-place in the mind of the wise, but she is not seen among the foolish.

  • 14 Knowledge is stored up by the wise, but the mouth of the foolish man is a destruction which is near.

  • 21 Foolish behaviour is joy to the unwise; but a man of good sense makes his way straight.

  • 3 In the mouth of the foolish man is a rod for his back, but the lips of the wise will keep them safe.

  • 3 By his foolish behaviour a man's ways are turned upside down, and his heart is bitter against the Lord.

  • Eccl 10:5-6
    2 verses
    70%

    5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

    6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.

  • 9 Like a thorn which goes up into the hand of a man overcome by drink, so is a wise saying in the mouth of a foolish man.

  • 20 There is a store of great value in the house of the wise, but it is wasted by the foolish man.

  • Eccl 7:4-6
    3 verses
    70%

    4 The hearts of the wise are in the house of weeping; but the hearts of the foolish are in the house of joy.

    5 It is better to take note of the protest of the wise, than for a man to give ear to the song of the foolish.

    6 Like the cracking of thorns under a pot, so is the laugh of a foolish man; and this again is to no purpose.

  • 10 Material comfort is not good for the foolish; much less for a servant to be put over rulers.

  • 16 How will money in the hand of the foolish get him wisdom, seeing that he has no sense?

  • 15 The way of the foolish man seems right to him? but the wise man gives ear to suggestions.

  • 1 Better is the poor man whose ways are upright, than the man of wealth whose ways are twisted.

  • Eccl 2:13-14
    2 verses
    69%

    13 Then I saw that wisdom is better than foolish ways--as the light is better than the dark.

    14 The wise man's eyes are in his head, but the foolish man goes walking in the dark; but still I saw that the same event comes to them all.

  • 21 The lips of the upright man give food to men, but the foolish come to death for need of sense.

  • 24 Wisdom is before the face of him who has sense; but the eyes of the foolish are on the ends of the earth.

  • 9 Say nothing in the hearing of a foolish man, for he will put no value on the wisdom of your words.

  • 10 A word of protest goes deeper into one who has sense than a hundred blows into a foolish man.

  • 11 Like a dog going back to the food which he has not been able to keep down, is the foolish man doing his foolish acts over again.

  • 5 Give a foolish man a foolish answer, or he will seem wise to himself.

  • 16 The wise man, fearing, keeps himself from evil; but the foolish man goes on in his pride, with no thought of danger.

  • 11 A foolish man lets out all his wrath, but a wise man keeps it back quietly.

  • 2 Knowledge is dropping from the tongue of the wise; but from the mouth of the foolish comes a stream of foolish words.

  • 7 The lips of the wise keep knowledge, but the heart of the foolish man is not right.

  • 2 A foolish man has no pleasure in good sense, but only to let what is in his heart come to light.

  • 9 Oil and perfume make glad the heart, and the wise suggestion of a friend is sweet to the soul.

  • 22 Wisdom is a fountain of life to him who has it; but the punishment of the foolish is their foolish behaviour.

  • 23 A sharp man keeps back his knowledge; but the heart of foolish men makes clear their foolish thoughts.

  • 18 Hate is covered up by the lips of the upright man, but he who lets out evil about another is foolish.

  • 8 What have the wise more than the foolish? and what has the poor man by walking wisely before the living?

  • 2 For wrath is the cause of death to the foolish, and he who has no wisdom comes to his end through passion.

  • 15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.

  • Eccl 9:17-18
    2 verses
    68%

    17 The words of the wise which come quietly to the ear are noted more than the cry of a ruler among the foolish.

    18 Wisdom is better than instruments of war, but one sinner is the destruction of much good.