Ecclesiastes 10
1 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.
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of a wise man is at his right hand: but the heart of a foole is at his left hand.
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 And also when the foole goeth by the way, his heart faileth, and he telleth vnto all that he is a foole.
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 If the spirite of him that ruleth, rise vp against thee, leaue not thy place: for gentlenes pacifieth great sinnes.
If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
5 There is an euil that I haue seene vnder the sunne, as an errour that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth.
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 Follie is set in great excellencie, and the riche set in the lowe place.
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 I haue seene seruants on horses, and princes walking as seruants on the ground.
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 He that diggeth a pit, shall fal into it, and he that breaketh the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 He that remooueth stones, shall hurt himselfe thereby, and hee that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby.
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 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.
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.
11 If the serpent bite, when he is not charmed: no better is a babbler.
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 The words of ye mouth of a wise man haue grace: but the lippes of a foole deuoure himselfe.
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 The beginning of the wordes of his mouth is foolishnesse, and the latter ende of his mouth is wicked madnesse.
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 For the foole multiplieth woordes, saying, Man knoweth not what shall be: and who can tell him what shall be after him?
Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
15 The labour of the foolish doeth wearie him: for he knoweth not to goe into the citie.
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 Woe to thee, O lande, when thy King is a childe, and thy princes eate in the morning.
You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
17 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.
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.
18 By slouthfulnes the roofe of the house goeth to decaie, and by the ydlenesse of the handes the house droppeth through.
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforteth the liuing, but siluer answereth to all.
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 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.
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.
