If the anger ¹  of the ruler flares up ²  against you, do not resign ³  from your position, ⁴  for a calm ⁵  response ⁶  can undo ⁷  great offenses.

biblegateway Ecc 10:4

If the ruler’s temper rises against you, do not abandon your position, because composure allays great offenses.

If the ruler's anger rises against you, don't leave your place, for calmness puts great offenses to rest.

If a ruler becomes angry with you, don’t resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses.

biblegateway Ecc 10:4

If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest.

If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for calmness will lay great offenses to rest.

bibleoremus Ecc 10:4

If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post, for calmness will undo great offenses.

If the anger of the ruler flares up at you, do not leave your post; submission makes amends for grave offences.

biblegateway Ecc 10:4

If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

biblegateway Ecc 10:4

If the anger ¹  of the ruler flares up ²  against you, do not resign ³  from your position, ⁴  for a calm ⁵  response ⁶  can undo ⁷  great offenses.

¹ tn Heb “spirit.”

² tn Heb “rises up.”

³ tn Heb “Do not leave.”

⁴ tn Heb “your place.” The term מָקוֹם (maqom, “place”) denotes a position, post or office (1 Kgs 20:24; Eccl 8:3; 10:4; BDB 879 s.v. מָקוֹם 1.c).

⁵ tn The noun II מַרְפֵּא (marpe’, “calmness”) is used in reference to keeping one’s composure with a peaceful heart (Prov 14:30) and responding to criticism with a gentle tongue (Prov 15:4); cf. HALOT 637 s.v. II מַרְפֵּא. It is used in reference to keeping one’s composure in an emotionally charged situation (BDB 951 s.v. מַרְפֵּא 2). The term “calmness” is used here as a metonymy of association, meaning “calm response.”

⁶ tn The term “response” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarification (see preceding note on the word “calm”).

⁷ tn The verbal root נוח means “to leave behind; to leave untouched” (HALOT 680 s.v. I נוח 2) in general, and in this passage, “to undo” or “to allay” offenses (HALOT 680 s.v. I נוח 3; BDB 629 s.v. נוּחַ 5) or “to avoid” offenses (BDB 629 נוּחַ 5). The point is either that (1) a composed response can calm or appease the anger of the ruler, or (2) a calm heart will help one avoid great sins that would offend the king. The root נוח (“to rest”) is repeated, creating a wordplay: “Do not leave” (אַל־תַּנַּח, ’al-tannakh) and “to avoid; to allay” (יַנִּיחַ, yanniakh). Rather than resigning (i.e., leaving), composure can appease a king (i.e., cause the anger of the king to leave).