Ecclesiastes 10:2

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Wisdom Can Be Nullified By the Caprice of Rulers A wise person’s good sense protects him, but a fool’s lack of sense leaves him vulnerable.

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Prov 14:8 : 8 The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.
  • Prov 17:16 : 16 What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?
  • Eccl 9:10 : 10 Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
  • Eccl 10:10 : 10 If an iron axhead is blunt and a workman does not sharpen its edge, he must exert a great deal of effort; so wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
  • Eccl 10:14 : 14 yet a fool keeps on babbling. No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future?
  • Luke 12:18-20 : 18 Then he said,‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to myself,“You have plenty of goods stored up for many years; relax, eat, drink, celebrate!”’ 20 But God said to him,‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded back from you, but who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
  • Luke 14:28-32 : 28 For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t sit down first and compute the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him. 30 They will say,‘This man began to build and was not able to finish!’ 31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace.

Similar Verses (AI)

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

  • Eccl 10:3
    83%

    3Even when a fool walks along the road he lacks sense, and shows everyone what a fool he is.

  • Prov 14:33
    79%

    33Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning; it is not known in the inner parts of fools.

  • Eccl 10:1
    78%

    1One dead fly makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench, so a little folly can outweigh much wisdom.

  • Eccl 7:4-5
    2 verses
    78%

    4The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of merrymaking.

    5Frivolous Living Versus Wisdom It is better for a person to receive a rebuke from those who are wise than to listen to the song of fools.

  • Prov 12:15-16
    2 verses
    77%

    15The way of a fool is right in his own opinion, but the one who listens to advice is wise.

    16A fool’s annoyance is known at once, but the prudent conceals dishonor.

  • Prov 17:24
    77%

    24Wisdom is directly in front of the discerning person, but the eyes of a fool run to the ends of the earth.

  • Prov 14:7-9
    3 verses
    76%

    7Walk abreast with a foolish person, and you do not understand wise counsel.

    8The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.

    9Fools mock at reparation, but among the upright there is favor.

  • Eccl 2:13-16
    4 verses
    76%

    13I realized that wisdom is preferable to folly, just as light is preferable to darkness:

    14The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both.

    15So I thought to myself,“The fate of the fool will happen even to me! Then what did I gain by becoming so excessively wise?” So I lamented to myself,“The benefits of wisdom are ultimately meaningless!”

    16For the wise man, like the fool, will not be remembered for very long, because in the days to come, both will already have been forgotten. Alas, the wise man dies– just like the fool!

  • Prov 10:8-9
    2 verses
    76%

    8The wise person accepts instructions, but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.

    9The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely, but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.

  • Prov 29:11
    75%

    11A fool lets fly with all his temper, but a wise person keeps it back.

  • Prov 8:5
    75%

    5You who are naive, discern wisdom! And you fools, understand discernment!

  • Prov 17:16
    75%

    16What’s the point of a fool having money in hand to buy wisdom, when his head is empty?

  • Prov 18:2
    75%

    2A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in disclosing what is on his mind.

  • Prov 13:16
    74%

    16Every shrewd person acts with knowledge, but a fool displays his folly.

  • Prov 19:3
    74%

    3A person’s folly subverts his way, and his heart rages against the LORD.

  • Prov 12:23
    74%

    23The shrewd person conceals knowledge, but foolish people proclaim folly.

  • Prov 10:23
    74%

    23Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool, and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.

  • Prov 14:16
    74%

    16A wise person is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool throws off restraint and is overconfident.

  • Prov 15:2
    74%

    2The tongue of the wise treats knowledge correctly, but the mouth of the fool spouts out folly.

  • Prov 15:14
    74%

    14The discerning mind seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.

  • Prov 15:7
    73%

    7The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but not so the heart of fools.

  • Prov 15:21
    73%

    21Folly is a joy to one who lacks sense, but one who has understanding follows an upright course.

  • Prov 26:5
    73%

    5Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own opinion.

  • Prov 28:26
    73%

    26The one who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but the one who walks in wisdom will escape.

  • Prov 14:24
    73%

    24The crown of the wise is their riches, but the folly of fools is folly.

  • Eccl 10:12-13
    2 verses
    73%

    12Words and Works of Wise Men and Fools The words of a wise person win him favor, but the words of a fool are self-destructive.

    13At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness,

  • Prov 10:14
    73%

    14Those who are wise store up knowledge, but foolish speech leads to imminent destruction.

  • Prov 26:12
    72%

    12You have seen a man wise in his own opinion– there is more hope for a fool than for him.

  • Eccl 4:5
    72%

    5The fool folds his hands and does no work, so he has nothing to eat but his own flesh.

  • Eccl 7:25
    71%

    25True Righteousness and Wisdom Are Virtually Nonexistent I tried to understand, examine, and comprehend the role of wisdom in the scheme of things, and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the insanity of folly.

  • Prov 16:22-23
    2 verses
    71%

    22Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it, but folly leads to the discipline of fools.

    23A wise person’s heart makes his speech wise and it adds persuasiveness to his words.

  • Prov 14:3
    71%

    3In the speech of a fool is a rod for his back, but the words of the wise protect them.

  • Eccl 7:9
    71%

    9Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, for anger resides in the lap of fools.

  • Eccl 6:8
    71%

    8So what advantage does a wise man have over a fool? And what advantage does a pauper gain by knowing how to survive?

  • Prov 23:9
    71%

    9Do not speak in the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

  • Ps 49:10
    71%

    10Surely one sees that even wise people die; fools and spiritually insensitive people all pass away and leave their wealth to others.

  • Prov 21:2
    71%

    2All of a person’s ways seem right in his own opinion, but the LORD evaluates his thoughts.

  • Prov 21:20
    71%

    20There is desirable treasure and olive oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish person devours all he has.

  • Prov 26:9
    71%

    9Like a thorn has gone up into the hand of a drunkard, so a proverb has gone up into the mouth of a fool.

  • Prov 19:1
    70%

    1Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his speech and is a fool.