Ecclesiastes 10
1 Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
As dead flies cause perfume to stink, so a little folly can overpower wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
The heart of a wise person tends to the right, but the heart of a fool tends to the left.
3 Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
When a fool walks down a road, his thinking is deficient, proving to everyone he is a fool.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
If the emotions of a ruler rise up against you, do not leave your work. Calm can quiet down great outrage.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, a kind of error that comes from a ruler:
6 The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
Fools are given leadership positions, while successful men are given low positions.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen slaves riding horses, and successful men walking like slaves on the ground.
8 He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
Anyone who digs a pit can fall into it, and whenever someone breaks down a wall, a snake can bite him.
9 He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
Whoever cuts out stones can be hurt by them, and the man who chops wood is endangered by it.
10 If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
If an iron blade is dull, and a man does not sharpen it, then he must use more strength, but wisdom provides an advantage for success.
11 If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
If a snake bites before it is charmed, then there is no advantage for the charmer.
12 The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
As words begin to flow from a fool's mouth, foolishness comes out, and at the end his mouth flows with wicked madness.
14 A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
A fool multiplies words, but no one knows what is coming. Who knows what is coming after him?
15 The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
The toil of fools wearies them, so that they do not even know the road to town.
16 Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Woe to you, land, if your king is a young boy, and if your leaders begin feasting in the morning!
17 Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
But blessed are you, land, if your king is the son of nobles, and if your leaders eat at the right time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
Because of laziness the roof sinks in, and because of idle hands the house leaks.
19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
People prepare food for laughter, wine brings enjoyment to life, and money fills the need for everything.
20 Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.
Do not curse the king, not even in your mind, and do not curse rich people in your bedroom. For a bird of the sky might carry your words; whatever has wings can spread the matter.
