Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, October 27th, 2024
the Week of Proper 25 / Ordinary 30
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Ecclesiastes 10:15

Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can't even find their way home.

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

Update Bible Version
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.
New Century Version
Work wears fools out; they don't even know how to get home.
New English Translation
The toil of a stupid fool wears him out, because he does not even know the way 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.
World English Bible
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn't know how to go to the city.
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.
English Standard Version
The toil of a fool wearies him, for he does not know the way to the city.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.
English Revised Version
The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The labour of the foolish doeth wearie him: for he knoweth not to goe into the citie.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Young's Literal Translation
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto 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.
THE MESSAGE
A decent day's work so fatigues fools That they can't find their way back to town.
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 King James Version
The labor of fools wearies them, For they do not even know how to go to the city!
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.
Legacy Standard Bible
The labor of a fool so wearies him that he does not even know how to go to a city.

Contextual Overview

12 Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. 13 Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness; 14 they chatter on and on. No one really knows what is going to happen; no one can predict the future. 15 Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they can't even find their way home.

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 descendants of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
Genesis 10:3
The descendants of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
Genesis 10:8
Cush was also the ancestor of Nimrod, who was the first heroic warrior on earth.
Genesis 10:15
Canaan's oldest son was Sidon, the ancestor of the Sidonians. Canaan was also the ancestor of the Hittites,
Genesis 10:18
Arvadites, Zemarites, and Hamathites. The Canaanite clans eventually spread out,
Genesis 10:20
These were the descendants of Ham, identified by clan, language, territory, and national identity.
Genesis 10:21
Sons were also born to Shem, the older brother of Japheth. Shem was the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber.
Genesis 10:24
Arphaxad was the father of Shelah, and Shelah was the father of Eber.
Genesis 23:3
Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders,
Genesis 49:13
"Zebulun will settle by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships; his borders will extend to 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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