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 cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
2 The heart of a wise man is at his right hand: but the heart of a foole is at his left hand.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 And also when the foole goeth by the way, his heart faileth, and he telleth vnto all that he is a foole.
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
4 If the spirite of him that ruleth, rise vp against thee, leaue not thy place: for gentlenes pacifieth great sinnes.
If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
5 There is an euil that I haue seene vnder the sunne, as an errour that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth.
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
6 Follie is set in great excellencie, and the riche set in the lowe place.
He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
7 I haue seene seruants on horses, and princes walking as seruants on the ground.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 He that diggeth a pit, shall fal into it, and he that breaketh the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
9 He that remooueth stones, shall hurt himselfe thereby, and hee that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby.
Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
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 the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 If the serpent bite, when he is not charmed: no better is a babbler.
If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 The words of ye mouth of a wise man haue grace: but the lippes of a foole deuoure himselfe.
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 The beginning of the wordes of his mouth is foolishnesse, and the latter ende of his mouth is wicked madnesse.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 For the foole multiplieth woordes, saying, Man knoweth not what shall be: and who can tell him what shall be after him?
And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
15 The labour of the foolish doeth wearie him: for he knoweth not to goe into the citie.
The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O lande, when thy King is a childe, and thy princes eate in the morning.
Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the 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.
Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 By slouthfulnes the roofe of the house goeth to decaie, and by the ydlenesse of the handes the house droppeth through.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
19 They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforteth the liuing, but siluer answereth to all.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
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.
Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
