Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left.
The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.
3 Yea also, when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, leave not thy place, for deference allays great offenses.
If the spirit of hym, that hath power, stieth on thee, forsake thou not thi place; for heeling schal make gretteste synnes to ceesse.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceeds from the ruler:
An yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne, and goith out as bi errour fro the face of the prince; a fool set in hiy dignyte,
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
and riche men sitte bynethe.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and rulers walking like servants upon the earth.
I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.
8 He who digs a pit shall fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.
9 He who hews out stones shall be hurt therewith, and he who splits wood is endangered thereby.
He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.
10 If the iron be blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must increase strength. But wisdom is advantageous to make right.
If yrun is foldid ayen, and this is not as bifore, but is maad blunt, it schal be maad scharp with myche trauel; and wisdom schal sue aftir bisynesse.
11 If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow himself up.
The wordis of the mouth of a wijs man is grace; and the lippis of an vnwijs man schulen caste hym doun.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.
14 A fool also multiplies words; yet man knows not what shall be, and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
A fool multiplieth wordis; a man noot, what was bifore hym, and who mai schewe to hym that, that schal come aftir hym?
15 The labor of fools wearies every one of them, for he knows not how to go to the city.
The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy rulers feast in the morning!
Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.
17 Happy are thou, O land, when thy king is the son of noble men, and thy rulers feast in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Blessid is the lond, whos kyng is noble; and whose princis eten in her tyme, to susteyne the kynde, and not to waste.
18 By slothfulness the roof sinks in, and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
The hiynesse of housis schal be maad low in slouthis; and the hous schal droppe in the feblenesse of hondis.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes glad the life, and money answers all things.
In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.
20 Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought, and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber. For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.
In thi thouyt bacbite thou not the kyng, and in the priuete of thi bed, curse thou not a riche man; for the briddis of heuene schulen bere thi vois, and he that hath pennys, schal telle the sentence.
