Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.
Dead flies cause to stinke, and putrifie the ointment of the apoticarie: so doeth a litle follie him that is in estimation for wisedome, and for glorie.
2 The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
The heart of a wise man is at his right hand: but the heart of a foole is at his left hand.
3 Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas be himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.
And also when the foole goeth by the way, his heart faileth, and he telleth vnto all that he is a foole.
4 If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.
If the spirite of him that ruleth, rise vp against thee, leaue not thy place: for gentlenes pacifieth great sinnes.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:
There is an euil that I haue seene vnder the sunne, as an errour that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth.
6 A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
Follie is set in great excellencie, and the riche set in the lowe place.
7 I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.
I haue seene seruants on horses, and princes walking as seruants on the ground.
8 He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
He that diggeth a pit, shall fal into it, and he that breaketh the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
He that remooueth stones, shall hurt himselfe thereby, and hee that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby.
10 If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.
If the yron be blunt, and one hath not whet the edge, he must then put to more strength: but the excellencie to direct a thing is wisedome.
11 If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
If the serpent bite, when he is not charmed: no better is a babbler.
12 The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
The words of ye mouth of a wise man haue grace: but the lippes of a foole deuoure himselfe.
13 The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
The beginning of the wordes of his mouth is foolishnesse, and the latter ende of his mouth is wicked madnesse.
14 A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
For the foole multiplieth woordes, saying, Man knoweth not what shall be: and who can tell him what shall be after him?
15 The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not bow to go to the city.
The labour of the foolish doeth wearie him: for he knoweth not to goe into the citie.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning.
Woe to thee, O lande, when thy King is a childe, and thy princes eate in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy King is the sonne of nobles, and thy princes eate in time, for strength and not for drunkennesse.
18 By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.
By slouthfulnes the roofe of the house goeth to decaie, and by the ydlenesse of the handes the house droppeth through.
19 For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.
They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforteth the liuing, but siluer answereth to all.
20 Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.
Curse not the King, no not in thy thought, neither curse the rich in thy bed chamber: for the foule of the heauen shall carie the voice, and that which hath wings, shall declare the matter.
