Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.
If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.
If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.
If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
11 If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?
Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.
You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
17 Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.
You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 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.
Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
