Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, August 12th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

Ecclesiastes 10:13

the beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his mouth is evil madness.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Fool;   Slander;   Speaking;   Words;   Thompson Chain Reference - Evil;   Silence-Speech;   Speaking, Evil;   Talk, Vain;   Vain Talk;   The Topic Concordance - Foolishness;   Speech/communication;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Slander;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Poetry;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Ecclesiastes;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Mad;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for August 19;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The beginning of the words from his mouth is folly,but the end of his speaking is evil madness;
Hebrew Names Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
King James Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
English Standard Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness.
New American Standard Bible
the beginning of his talking is foolishness, and the end of it is evil insanity.
New Century Version
A fool begins by saying foolish things and ends by saying crazy and wicked things.
Amplified Bible
the beginning of his talking is foolishness and the end of his talk is wicked madness.
World English Bible
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Geneva Bible (1587)
The beginning of the wordes of his mouth is foolishnesse, and the latter ende of his mouth is wicked madnesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
the beginning of the words of his mouth is simpleminded folly, and the end of what comes from his mouth is evil madness.
Berean Standard Bible
The beginning of his talk is folly, and the end of his speech is evil madness.
Contemporary English Version
Fools begin with nonsense, and their stupid chatter ends with disaster.
Complete Jewish Bible
What he says starts with foolishness and ends with wicked madness.
Darby Translation
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Easy-to-Read Version
Fools begin by saying something foolish. But in the end, they speak nonsense.
George Lamsa Translation
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Good News Translation
They start out with silly talk and end up with pure madness.
Lexham English Bible
He begins by saying what is foolish and ends by uttering what is wicked delusion.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The begynnynge of his talkynge is foolishnes, and the last worde of his mouth is greate madnesse.
American Standard Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Bible in Basic English
The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness.
King James Version (1611)
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishnesse: and the end of his talke is mischieuous madnesse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The beginning of his talking is foolishnesse: & the last worde of his mouth is starke madnesse.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
English Revised Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.
Update Bible Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
Webster's Bible Translation
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.
New English Translation
At the beginning his words are foolish and at the end his talk is wicked madness,
New King James Version
The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness.
New Living Translation
Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
New Life Bible
The beginning of his talking is foolish, and the end of it is sinful and crazy.
New Revised Standard
The words of their mouths begin in foolishness, and their talk ends in wicked madness;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The beginning of the words of his mouth, is folly, - but, the latter end of his speech, is mischievous madness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
Revised Standard Version
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is wicked madness.
Young's Literal Translation
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness.

Contextual Overview

12 The words of a wise mouth are grace, but the lips of a stupid one swallow him; 13 the beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his mouth is evil madness. 14 Yet the stupid one makes many words; a man knows not what they shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? 15 The labor of fools wearies him, because he does not know how to go to the city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

beginning: Judges 14:15, 1 Samuel 20:26-33, 1 Samuel 22:7, 1 Samuel 22:8, 1 Samuel 22:16-18, 1 Samuel 25:10, 1 Samuel 25:11, 2 Samuel 19:41-43, 2 Samuel 20:1, 2 Kings 6:27, 2 Kings 6:31, Proverbs 29:9, Matthew 2:7, Matthew 2:8, Matthew 2:16, Luke 6:2, Luke 6:11, Luke 11:38, Luke 11:53, Luke 11:54, John 12:10, Acts 5:28-33, Acts 6:9-11, Acts 7:54-59, Acts 19:24-28

talk: Heb. mouth

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:9 - pressed Proverbs 10:19 - the multitude Proverbs 14:16 - the fool Proverbs 15:2 - tongue Ecclesiastes 7:25 - know Luke 12:3 - whatsoever Ephesians 5:4 - filthiness

Cross-References

Genesis 10:11
From that land he went forth to Assyria and built Nineveh, and Rehoboth the city, and Calah,
Genesis 10:12
and Resen between Nineveh and Calah, which is a great city.
Jeremiah 46:9
Come up, horses; and rage, chariots! And let the mighty men come forth, the Ethiopians and the Libyans who handle the shield, and the Lydians who handle and tread the bow.
Ezekiel 30:5
Ethiopia, and Lydia, and Lud, and all the mixed people, and Chub, and the sons of the land of the covenant with them, shall fall by the sword.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness,.... As soon as ever he opens his mouth, he betrays his folly; the first word he speaks is a foolish one; or it is from the abundant folly in his heart that he speaks, which is the source and spring of all his foolish talk;

and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness; to himself and others; as he goes on, he appears more and more foolish, and yet more confident of his own wisdom; and is resolutely set on having his own way and will; grows warm, and is violently hot, to have his own words regarded; and, if contradicted, is like a madman, scattering arrows, firebrands, and death; his talk from first to last is a circle of folly; and, though it begins with something weak, and may seem innocent, yet it ends and issues in wickedness and madness, in rage and wrath, in oaths and curses.


 
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