Ecclesiastes 10:1 “As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly…”

Ecclesiastes 10:1

As dead flies bring a stench to the perfumer’s oil, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

World English Bible

Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

American Standard Version

Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.

Geneva Bible 1599

Dead flies cause to stinke, and putrifie the ointment of the apoticarie: so doeth a litle follie him that is in estimation for wisedome, and for glorie.

Darby Translation

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink [and] ferment; [so] a little folly is weightier than wisdom [and] honour.

Young's Literal Translation

Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!

Bible in Basic English

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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Cross references

“Dead flies”

Exodus 30:34 Exodus 30:35

Exodus 30:34 · BSB

The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures,

Exodus 30:35 · BSB

and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.

“a little”

Matthew 5:13–16 Galatians 2:12–14 Nehemiah 13:26 2 Chronicles 19:2 Nehemiah 6:13

Matthew 5:13–16 · BSB

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

Galatians 2:12–14 · BSB

For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group.

Nehemiah 13:26 · BSB

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

2 Chronicles 19:2 · BSB

Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.

Nehemiah 6:13 · BSB

He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would sin by doing as he suggested, so they could give me a bad name in order to discredit me.

Also

Exodus 30:25

Exodus 30:25 · BSB

Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

2A wise man’s heart inclines to the right, but the heart of a fool to the left.

Read Ecclesiastes 10