Ecclesiastes 10:12

NETBible

The words of a wise person 1  win him 2  favor, 3  but the words 4  of a fool are self-destructive. 5 

NIV ©

Words from a wise man’s mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips.

NASB ©

Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him;

NLT ©

It is pleasant to listen to wise words, but the speech of fools brings them to ruin.

MSG ©

The words of a wise person are gracious. The talk of a fool self-destructs--

BBE ©

The words of a wise man’s mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

NRSV ©

Words spoken by the wise bring them favor, but the lips of fools consume them.

NKJV ©

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;

KJV
The words
<01697>
of a wise man's
<02450>
mouth
<06310>
[are] gracious
<02580>_;
but the lips
<08193>
of a fool
<03684>
will swallow up
<01104> (8762)
himself. {gracious: Heb. grace}
NASB ©
Words
<1697>
from the mouth
<6310>
of a wise
<2450>
man
<2450>
are gracious
<2580>
, while the lips
<8193>
of a fool
<3684>
consume
<1104>
him;
LXXM
logoi
<3056> 
N-NPM
stomatov
<4750> 
N-GSN
sofou
<4680> 
A-GSM
cariv
<5485> 
N-NSF
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
ceilh
<5491> 
N-NPN
afronov
<878> 
A-GSM
katapontiousin
<2670> 
V-FAI-3P
auton
<846> 
D-ASM
NET [draft] ITL
The words
<01697>
of a wise person
<02450>
win him favor
<02580>
, but the words
<08193>
of a fool
<03684>
are self-destructive
<01104>
.
HEBREW
wnelbt
<01104>
lyok
<03684>
twtpvw
<08193>
Nx
<02580>
Mkx
<02450>
yp
<06310>
yrbd (10:12)
<01697>
NETBible

The words of a wise person 1  win him 2  favor, 3  but the words 4  of a fool are self-destructive. 5 

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “of a wise man’s mouth.”

2 tn The phrase “win him” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

3 tn Or “are gracious.” The antithetical parallelism suggests that חֵן (khen) does not denote “gracious character” but “[gain] favor” (e.g., Gen 39:21; Exod 3:21; 11:3; 12:36; Prov 3:4, 34; 13:15; 22:1; 28:23; Eccl 9:11); cf. HALOT 332 s.v. חֵן 2; BDB 336 s.v. חֵן 2. The LXX, on the other hand, rendered חֶן with χάρις (caris, “gracious”). The English versions are divided: “are gracious” (KJV, YLT, ASV, NASB, NIV) and “win him favor” (NEB, RSV, NRSV, NAB, MLB, NJPS, Moffatt).

4 tn Heb “lips.”

5 tn Heb “consume him”; or “engulf him.” The verb I בלע (“to swallow”) creates a striking wordplay on the homonymic root II בלע (“to speak eloquently”; HALOT 134-35 s.v בלע). Rather than speaking eloquently (II בלע, “to speak eloquently”), the fool utters words that are self-destructive (I בלע, “to swallow, engulf”).