Ecclesiastes 10:13
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
Brenton Septuagint
In The King James Version
In Context
12The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
Cross References
Judges 14:15And it came to pass on the fourth day, that they said to the wife of Sampson, Deceive now thy husband, and let him tell thee the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: did ye invite us to do us violence?
1 Samuel 22:7And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye sons of Benjamin, will the son of Jessæ indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, and will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands?
1 Samuel 25:10And Nabal sprang up, and answered the servants of David, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jessæ? now-a-days there is abundance of servants who depart every one from his master.
2 Kings 6:27And he said to her, Unless the Lord help thee, whence shall I help thee? from the corn-floor, or from the wine-press?
Proverbs 13:16Every prudent man acts with knowledge: but the fool displays his own mischief.
Ecclesiastes 5:2For through the multitude of trial a dream comes; and a fool's voice is with a multitude of words.
Matthew Henry on Ecclesiastes 10:13-16
The Contemptibleness of Folly. 12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. 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? 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city. Solomon, having shown the benefit of wisdom, and of what great… Read the whole commentary →