Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
2 The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
3 Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
Yes, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
4 If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
5 I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
6 when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
7 I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
9 If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 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.
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 If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
13 Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
14 Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
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 Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
16 You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
Woe to you, O city, whose king is young, and your princes eat in the morning!
17 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.
Blessed are you, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
18 Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
19 A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
20 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.
Even in your conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry your voice, and that which has wings shall report your speech.
