Ecclesiastes 10:20-1964 bbe — Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; b…

Ecclesiastes 10:20-1964 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.”

Ecclesiastes 10:20-1964 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 10, verses 20–1964.

Ecclesiastes is traditionally attributed to Solomon (traditional; identified as "the Preacher, son of David"). It was written c. 940 BC.

Ecclesiastes is a candid meditation on life "under the sun" — its pleasures, its pains, and its apparent vanity. The Preacher tries wisdom, wealth, work, and pleasure, finds them all empty without God, and concludes that fearing God and keeping his commandments is the whole of man.

Ecclesiastes explores themes including Vanity, Time, Meaning, Fear of God, Mortality. These themes shape the meaning and context of Ecclesiastes 10:20-1964.

Ecclesiastes 10:20-1964 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

Ecclesiastes 10:20-1964 reads (BBE): “Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.