New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Ecclesiastes 10
8 He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall.
9 He who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and he who splits logs may be endangered by them.
10 If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving success.
11 If the serpent bites before being charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;
13 the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness.
14 Yet the fool multiplies words. No man knows what will happen, and who can tell him what will come after him?
15 The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.
16 Woe to you, O land, whose king is a lad and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is of nobility and whose princes eat at the appropriate time-for strength and not for drunkenness.
18 Through indolence the rafters sag, and through slackness the house leaks.
We pray that this ministry will be a blessing to you and your family.
