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Read the Bible

New King James Version

Ecclesiastes 10:15

The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fool;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 19;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The struggles of fools weary them,for they don’t know how to go to the city.
Hebrew Names Version
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.
King James Version
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
English Standard Version
The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
New American Standard Bible
The labor of a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city.
New Century Version
Work wears fools out; they don't even know how to get home.
Amplified Bible
The labor of a fool so wearies him [because he is ignorant] that he does not even know how to go to a city.
World English Bible
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The labour of the foolish doeth wearie him: for he knoweth not to goe into the citie.
Legacy Standard Bible
The labor of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.
Berean Standard Bible
The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
Contemporary English Version
Fools wear themselves out— they don't know enough to find their way home.
Complete Jewish Bible
The efforts of a fool wear him out; he doesn't even know the way to town!
Darby Translation
The labour of fools wearieth them, because they know not how to go to the city.
Easy-to-Read Version
Fools aren't smart enough to find their way home, so they must work hard all their lives.
George Lamsa Translation
The labor of fools wears them out because they do not know how to buy and sell in the city.
Good News Translation
Only someone too stupid to find his way home would wear himself out with work.
Lexham English Bible
The fool is so worn out by a hard day's work he cannot even find his way home at night.
Literal Translation
The labor of fools wearies him, because he does not know how to go to the city.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The laboure of ye foolish is greuous vnto the, while they knowe not how to go in to the cite.
American Standard Version
The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Bible in Basic English
The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
King James Version (1611)
The labour of the foolish wearyeth euery one of them; because hee knoweth not how to goe to the citie.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The labour of the foolishe is greeuous vnto them, whyle they know not howe to go into the citie.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The labour of fools will afflict them, as that of one who knows not to go to the city.
English Revised Version
The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.
Update Bible Version
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.
Webster's Bible Translation
The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
New English Translation
The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way to the city.
New Living Translation
Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can't even find their way home.
New Life Bible
The work of a fool makes him so tired that he does not even know the way to a city.
New Revised Standard
The toil of fools wears them out, for they do not even know the way to town.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The toil of dullards, shall weary a man, that he knoweth not how to go into the city.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not how to go to the city.
Revised Standard Version
The toil of a fool wearies him, so that he does not know the way to the city.
Young's Literal Translation
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
THE MESSAGE
A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
The toil of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

Contextual Overview

12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; 13 The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. 14 A fool also multiplies words. No man knows what is to be; Who can tell him what will be after him? 15 The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

labour: Ecclesiastes 10:3, Ecclesiastes 10:10, Isaiah 44:12-17, Isaiah 47:12, Isaiah 47:13, Isaiah 55:2, Isaiah 57:1, Habakkuk 2:6, Matthew 11:28-30

because: Psalms 107:4, Psalms 107:7, Isaiah 35:8-10, Jeremiah 50:4, Jeremiah 50:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:11 - that they Job 39:16 - her labour Luke 13:24 - for

Cross-References

Genesis 10:2
The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Genesis 10:3
The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, 1 Chronicles 1:6">[fn] and Togarmah.
Genesis 10:8
Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.
Genesis 10:15
Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;
Genesis 10:18
the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. Afterward the families of the Canaanites were dispersed.
Genesis 10:20
These were the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their languages, in their lands and in their nations.
Genesis 10:21
And children were born also to Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder.
Genesis 10:24
Arphaxad begot Salah, Luke 3:35-36).">[fn] and Salah begot Eber.
Genesis 23:3
Then Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke to the sons of Heth, saying,
Genesis 49:13
"Zebulun shall dwell by the haven of the sea; He shall become a haven for ships, And his border shall adjoin Sidon.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The labour of the foolish wearieth everyone of them,.... The labour of fools, both in speaking and doing, weary those who have any concern with them, and themselves likewise, since all their labour is vain and fruitless;

because he knoweth not how to go to the city; to any city, the road to which is usually broad, and plain and easy to be found, and yet cannot be found by the foolish man; showing, that he that talks of abstruse things, things too high and wonderful for him, which he affects to know, must needs be a stranger to them, since things the most easy to be understood he is ignorant of, and wearies himself to find; or he does not know how to behave himself in a city, among citizens, in a civil and polite manner. The Targum is,

"he learns not to go to the city, where wise men dwell, to learn instruction from it.''

Some interpret it of the city of Jerusalem, where were the temple, sanhedrim, synagogues, schools, c. but it may be better applied to the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, which fools or wicked men know not the way unto, nor do they seek after it see Psalms 107:7; so Alshech interprets it of heaven.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The sense is: “The fool wearies himself with ineffectual attempts, he has not sufficient knowledge for the transaction of ordinary business.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 15. He knoweth not how to go to the city. — I suppose this to be a proverb: "He knows nothing; he does not know his way to the next village." He may labour; but for want of judgment he wearies himself to no purpose.


 
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