🍞 Ecclesiastes 10

Ecclesiastes 10 is a real chapter from the Old Testament. It starts, “Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.” That is not a motto invented for a poster. It is the first sentence a family hears when this page is opened at night.

Keep going a little further. The chapter also says, “If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.” Ecclesiastes 10 opens with these words: “Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.” The line to keep is Ecclesiastes 10:2: “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.” Carry the word “wise” from that verse into the rest of the day.

The line worth learning out loud is Ecclesiastes 10:2: “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.” If the rest of the chapter feels crowded, hold that one sentence until the room is quiet.

What happens first in Ecclesiastes 10? Then try this: Read “A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left.” once more. What does it show you about God? You do not have to finish every verse. You can close the book after the memory verse and still have read the Bible together.