傳道書 10
1 一個死蒼蠅能敗壞一碗製香膏者的香膏；一點愚昧也能敗壞智慧和尊榮。
Dead flies cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
2 智慧人的心傾向右，愚人的心偏向左。
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 愚人連在走路時，也是無知，並稱眾人皆糊塗。
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
4 若當權者向你生氣，你不可離棄崗位，因為心平氣和能避免大錯。
If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
5 我在太陽下見了一件不幸的事，似乎是出於掌權者的錯誤：
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
6 愚人佔居高位，貴人屈居下位。
He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
7 我看見僕人騎馬，而王侯反像僕人一樣步行。
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 挖掘陷阱的必自陷其中，拆毀牆壁的必被蛇咬傷；
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
9 開鑿石頭的必為石壓傷，砍伐樹木的必遭遇危險。
Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 鐵器鈍了，如不將刃磨快，必費許多氣力；成功是智慧的效能。
If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 行法術之前，就已被蛇咬傷，法術於行法術的人，就沒有好處。
If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 智者口中的語言，為人有益；愚人的口舌卻自招滅亡：
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 他口中的語言，開始是愚昧，最後卻是殘忍的狂語。
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 愚人只知多言：「將來的事怎樣，人不知道，人身後的事，有誰來告訴他﹖」
And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
15 愚人以勞碌為煩惱，因為連怎樣進城，他也不知道。
The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
16 邦國，你的君王若是一個幼童，你的長官若清晨宴飲，你就有禍了!
Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
17 邦國，你的君王若出身顯貴，你的長官若宴飲有時，只求養身，不為快樂，那你就有福了。
Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 屋頂坍塌，由於怠惰；房屋滴漏，由於手懶。
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
19 設宴是為歡樂，酒可使生活愉快；錢能應付一切。
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
20 在床塌上，不要詛咒君王；在臥室內，不要咒罵長官，因為空中的飛鳥能傳音，有翅翼的能傳話。
Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
