Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to stink [and] ferment; [so] a little folly is weightier than wisdom [and] honour.
Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.
2 The heart of a wise [man] 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 he that is a fool walketh by the way, his sense faileth [him], and he saith to every one [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 rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for quietness pacifieth great offences.
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 that I have seen under the sun, as an error [that] proceedeth 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 dignities, but the rich sit in a low place.
and riche men sitte bynethe.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.
8 He that diggeth a pit falleth into it; and whoso breaketh down a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.
9 Whoso removeth stones is hurt therewith; he that cleaveth 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 one do not whet the edge, then must he apply more strength; but wisdom is profitable to give success.
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 bite before enchantment, then the charmer hath no advantage.
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 swallow up himself.
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 folly; 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 And the fool multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and what shall be after him, who will 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 labour of fools wearieth them, because they know 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 princes eat in the morning!
Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.
17 Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, and thy princes eat 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 much sloth fulness the framework falleth in; and through idleness of the hands the house drippeth.
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 maketh life merry; but money answereth everything.
In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.
20 Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for the bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings will 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.
