Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies make the ointment of the perfumer fetid and putrid; so doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.
Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.
2 A wise man's understanding is at his right hand; but a fool's understanding at his left.
The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.
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.
But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for gentleness allayeth great offences.
If the spirit of hym, that hath power, stieth on thee, forsake thou not thi place; for heeling schal make gretteste synnes to ceesse.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from a ruler:
An yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne, and goith out as bi errour fro the face of the prince; a fool set in hiy dignyte,
6 Folly is set on great heights, and the rich sit in low place.
and riche men sitte bynethe.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.
9 Whoso quarrieth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.
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 yrun is foldid ayen, and this is not as bifore, but is maad blunt, it schal be maad scharp with myche trauel; and wisdom schal sue aftir bisynesse.
11 If the serpent bite before it is charmed, then the charmer hath no advantage.
If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
The wordis of the mouth of a wijs man is grace; and the lippis of an vnwijs man schulen caste hym doun.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of his talk is grievous madness.
The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.
14 A fool also multiplieth words; yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
A fool multiplieth wordis; a man noot, what was bifore hym, and who mai schewe to hym that, that schal come aftir hym?
15 The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, and thy princes feast in the morning!
Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.
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!
Blessid is the lond, whos kyng is noble; and whose princis eten in her tyme, to susteyne the kynde, and not to waste.
18 By slothfulness the rafters sink in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.
The hiynesse of housis schal be maad low in slouthis; and the hous schal droppe in the feblenesse of hondis.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.
In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.
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.
In thi thouyt bacbite thou not the kyng, and in the priuete of thi bed, curse thou not a riche man; for the briddis of heuene schulen bere thi vois, and he that hath pennys, schal telle the sentence.
