Ecclesiastes 10:13

NETBible

At the beginning his words 1  are foolish and at the end 2  his talk 3  is wicked madness, 4 

NIV ©

At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness—

NASB ©

the beginning of his talking is folly and the end of it is wicked madness.

NLT ©

Since fools base their thoughts on foolish premises, their conclusions will be wicked madness.

MSG ©

He starts out talking nonsense And ends up spouting insanity and evil.

BBE ©

The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.

NRSV ©

The words of their mouths begin in foolishness, and their talk ends in wicked madness;

NKJV ©

The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness.

KJV
The beginning
<08462>
of the words
<01697>
of his mouth
<06310>
[is] foolishness
<05531>_:
and the end
<0319>
of his talk
<06310>
[is] mischievous
<07451>
madness
<01948>_.
{his talk: Heb. his mouth}
NASB ©
the beginning
<8462>
of his talking
<1697>
<6310> is folly
<5531>
and the end
<319>
of it is wicked
<7463>
madness
<1948>
.
LXXM
arch
<746> 
N-NSF
logwn
<3056> 
N-GPM
stomatov
<4750> 
N-GSN
autou
<846> 
D-GSM
afrosonh {N-NSF} kai
<2532> 
CONJ
escath
<2078> 
A-NSF
stomatov
<4750> 
N-GSN
autou
<846> 
D-GSM
perifereia {N-NSF} ponhra
<4190> 
A-NSF
NET [draft] ITL
At the beginning
<08462>
his words
<06310>

<01697>
are foolish
<05531>
and at the end
<0319>
his talk
<06310>
is wicked
<07451>
madness
<01948>
,
HEBREW
her
<07451>
twllwh
<01948>
whyp
<06310>
tyrxaw
<0319>
twlko
<05531>
whyp
<06310>
yrbd
<01697>
tlxt (10:13)
<08462>
NETBible

At the beginning his words 1  are foolish and at the end 2  his talk 3  is wicked madness, 4 

NET Notes

1 tn Heb “the words of his mouth.”

2 sn The terms “beginning” and “end” form a merism, a figure of speech in which two opposites are contrasted to indicate totality (e.g., Deut 6:7; Ps 139:8; Eccl 3:2-8). The words of a fool are madness from “start to finish.”

3 tn Heb “his mouth.”

4 tn Heb “madness of evil.”