Ecc 10:20 | NET2full | STEP | Do not curse a king even in your thoughts , and do not curse the rich while in your bedroom ; for a bird might report what you are thinking , or some winged creature might repeat your words .

‏ Ecclesiastes 10:20

20 Do not curse a king even in your thoughts,
and do not curse the rich ^{▼▼tn Perhaps the referent is people who are in authority because of their wealth.} while in your bedroom; ^{▼▼tn Heb “in chambers of your bedroom.”}
for a bird ^{▼▼tn Heb “a bird of the air.”} might report what you are thinking, ^{▼▼tn Heb “might carry the voice.” The article is used here with the force of a possessive pronoun.}
or some winged creature ^{▼▼tn The Hebrew phrase בַּעַל הַכְּנָפַיִם (baʿal hakkenafayim, “possessor of wings”) is an idiom for a winged creature, that is, a bird (e.g., Prov 1:17; see HALOT 143 s.v. בַּעַל A.6; BDB 127 s.v. בַּעַל 5.a). The term בַּעַל (“master; possessor”) is the construct governing the attributive genitive הַכְּנָפַיִם (“wings”); see IBHS 149-51 §9.5.3b.} might repeat your ^{▼▼tn The term “your” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for smoothness.} words. ^{▼▼tn Heb “tell the matter.”}