Next, I decided to consider ¹  wisdom, as well as foolish behavior and ideas. ²  For what more can the king’s successor do than what the king ³  has already done?

I tried ¹  to understand, examine, and comprehend ²  the role of ³  wisdom in the scheme of things, ⁴  and to understand the stupidity of wickedness ⁵  and the insanity of folly. ⁶ 

O God, you are aware of my foolish sins; ¹  my guilt is not hidden from you. ² 

The woman called Folly ¹  is brash, ²  she is naive ³  and does not know ⁴  anything. ⁵ 

So I decided ¹  to discern the benefit of ²  wisdom and knowledge over ³  foolish behavior and ideas; ⁴  however, I concluded ⁵  that even ⁶  this endeavor ⁷  is like ⁸  trying to chase the wind! ⁹ 

One dead fly ¹  makes the perfumer’s ointment give off a rancid stench, ²  so a little folly can outweigh ³  much wisdom. ⁴ 

If ¹  God ²  puts no trust in ³  his servants ⁴  and attributes ⁵  folly ⁶  to his angels,

A person’s folly ¹  subverts ²  his way, and ³  his heart rages ⁴  against the Lord.

Folly is bound up ¹  in the heart of a child, ²  but the rod of discipline ³  will drive it far from him.

I will listen to what God the Lord says. ¹  For he will make ²  peace with his people, his faithful followers. ³  Yet they must not ⁴  return to their foolish ways.

Their prosperity causes them to do wrong; ¹  their thoughts are sinful. ² 

My wounds ¹  are infected and starting to smell, ²  because of my foolish sins. ³ 

The Lord says, ¹  “I saw the prophets of Samaria ²  doing something that was disgusting. ³  They prophesied in the name of the god Baal and led my people Israel astray. ⁴ 

adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.

My lord should not pay attention to this wicked man Nabal. He simply lives up to his name! His name means ‘fool,’ and he is indeed foolish! ¹  But I, your servant, did not see the servants my lord sent. ² 

I thought deeply ¹  about the effects of ²  indulging ³  myself ⁴  with wine (all the while ⁵  my mind was guiding me ⁶  with wisdom) ⁷  and the effects of ⁸  behaving foolishly, ⁹  so that I might discover what is profitable for people to do on earth during the few days of their lives.

So the sovereign master was not pleased ¹  with their young men, he took no pity ²  on their orphans and widows; for the whole nation was godless ³  and did wicked things, ⁴  every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. ⁵  Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again. ⁶ 

So now take ¹  seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will intercede ²  for you, and I will respect him, ³  so that I do not deal with you ⁴  according to your folly, ⁵  because you have not spoken about me what is right, as my servant Job has.” ⁶ 

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

For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.