Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 A wise man's understanding is at his right hand; but a fool's understanding at his left.
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 Yea also, when a fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences.
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 evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from a ruler:
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 Folly is set on great heights, and the rich sit in low place.
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, 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 Whoso quarrieth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is profitable to direct.
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 before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage.
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness.
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell 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 fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, and thy princes feast 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 Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a free man, and thy princes eat in due season, in strength, and not in drunkenness!
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 slothfulness the rafters sink in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought, and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber; for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell 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.
