1Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor;
so does a little folly outweigh wisdom and honor.
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
but a fool’s heart at his left. 3Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool. 4If the spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler. 6Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place. 7I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth. 8He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. 9Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it. 10If the ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue. 12The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips. 13The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. 14A fool also multiplies words.
Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him? 15The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know how to go to the city.
16Woe to you, land, when your king is a child,
and your princes eat in the morning!
17Happy are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles,
and your princes eat in due season,
for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18By slothfulness the roof sinks in;
and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19A feast is made for laughter,
and wine makes the life glad;
and money is the answer for all things.
20Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts;
and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom,
for a bird of the sky may carry your voice,
and that which has wings may tell the matter.
Everyday expressions in English that are based on the King James Version of the Bible
| Expression | Meaning | Biblical Text |
|---|---|---|
| "A labor of love" | 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 | |
| "A sign of the times" | Matthew 16:3 | |
| "At the eleventh hour" | Matthew 20:1-16 | |
| "At your wit's end" | Psalms 107:23-27 | |
| "By the skin of your teeth" | To barely succeed | Job 19:20 |
| "Bite the dust" | For something to fail | Psalms 72:9 |
| "Blind leading the blind" | Unskilled persons are being led by equally unskilled persons. | Matthew 15:14 |
| "Broken heart" | To have much sorrow. | Psalms 34:18 |
| "Can a leopard change his spots?" | The inability of a person to change what they are | Jeremiah 13:23 |
| "Cast the first stone" | To criticize first, or be the first person to attack. | John 8:7 |
| "Cast your pearls before swine" | Matthew 7:6 | |
| "Drop in a bucket" | Insignificant impact or amount | Isaiah 40:15 |
| "Eat, drink, and be merry" | Ecclesiastes 8:15; Luke 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:32 | |
| "Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" | If something bad is done by a person, then the same thing should happen to them as a punishment. | Matthew 5:38 |
| "Fall from grace" | This speaks of a person who has fallen from a position of respect or rank. | Galatians 5:4 |
| "Fall by the wayside" | Luke 8:5 | |
| "Feet of clay" | Daniel 2:31-45 | |
| "Fight the good fight" | 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:6 | |
| "Fly in the ointment" | Something that ruins an effort. | Ecclesiastes 10:1 |
| "For every thing there is a season" | Ecclesiastes 3 | |
| "Forbidden fruit" | Genesis 3:3 | |
| "Go the extra mile" | Go beyond what is expected of a person. | Matthew 5:41 |
| "Good Samaritan" | This speaks of a person who helps another person in need without the intent of receiving something in return. | Luke 10:30-37 |
| "He that toucheth pitch" | Ecclesiasticus 13:1 (Apocrypha) | |
| "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword" | Matthew 26:52 | |
| "How the mighty have fallen" | 2 Samuel 1:19 | |
| "Land of milk and honey" | Exodus 3:1-22 | |
| "Land of Nod" | Genesis 4:16 | |
| "Leopard cannot change its spots" | Jeremiah 13:23 | |
| "Let there be light" | Lighthearted comment when someone turns on a light | Genesis 1:3 |
| "Like a lamb to the slaughter" | To do an innocent act not knowing of the danger ahead. | Isaiah 53:7 |
| "Millstone around your neck" | Luke 17:2 | |
| "Move mountains" | 1 Corinthians 13:2 | |
| "Nothing but skin and bones" | For a person to be very thin or emaciated. | Job 19:19-20 |
| "Nothing new under the sun" | Ecclesiastes 1:9 | |
| "O ye of little faith" | Matthew 8:26 | |
| "Pride comes before a fall" | Usually, a caution that someone is too confident and will cause the person to fail. | Proverbs 16:18 |
| "The love of money is the root of all evil" | 1 Timothy 6:10 | |
| "The powers that be" | Romans 13:1 | |
| "The straight and narrow" | Matthew 7:13-14 | |
| "Writing on the wall" | Indicating that something bad is about to happen. | Daniel 5:1-31 |
You may see several examples, given above, at Biblical idioms and sayings with origins explained.
David Crystal has discovered 257 examples of these idioms. You may read or listen to an interview with him at Talk of the Nation, December 22, 2010, and may want to order his book, Begat: The King James Bible and the English Language.