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 cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
2 A wise man's understanding is at his right hand; but a fool's understanding at his left.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his 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.
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 spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences.
If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from a ruler:
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
6 Folly is set on great heights, and the rich sit in low place.
He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
9 Whoso quarrieth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
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 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 before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage.
If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell 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 fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, and thy princes feast in the morning!
Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the 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!
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 slothfulness the rafters sink in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.
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, 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.
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.
