Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dying flies ruin the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a brief and limited foolishness.
Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
2 The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a foolish man is in his left hand.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
3 Moreover, as a foolish man is walking along the way, even though he himself is unwise, he considers everyone to be foolish.
Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
4 If the spirit of one who holds authority rises over you, do not leave your place, because attentiveness will cause the greatest sins to cease.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, proceeding from the presence of a prince, as if by mistake:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
6 a foolish man appointed to a high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath him.
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking on the ground like servants.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever tears apart a hedge, a snake will bite him.
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
9 Whoever carries away stones will be harmed by them. And whoever cuts down trees will be wounded by them.
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 If the iron is dull, and if it was not that way before, but has been made dull by much labor, then it will be sharpened. And wisdom will follow after diligence.
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.
11 Whoever slanders in secret is nothing less than a snake that bites silently.
If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 Words from the mouth of a wise man are graceful, but the lips of a foolish man will throw him down with violence.
The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
13 At the beginning of his words is foolishness, and at the end of his talk is a most grievous error.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
14 The fool multiplies his words. A man does not know what has been before him, and who is able to reveal to him what will be in the future after him?
A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
15 The hardship of the foolish will afflict those who do not know to go into the city.
The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, the land whose king is a boy, and whose princes consume in the morning.
Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 Blessed is the land whose king is noble, and whose princes eat at the proper time, for refreshment and not for self-indulgence.
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.
18 By laziness, a framework shall be brought down, and by the weakness of hands, a house shall collapse through.
By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
19 While laughing, they make bread and wine, so that the living may feast. And all things are obedient to money.
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
20 You should not slander the king, even in your thoughts, and you should not speak evil of a wealthy man, even in your private chamber. For even the birds of the air will carry your voice, and whatever has wings will announce your opinion.
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.
