Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking smell: so does a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.
Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 Yes also, when he that is a fool walks by the way, his wisdom fails him, and he says 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 hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.'
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses.
If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeds from the ruler:
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
9 Whoever removes stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that splits wood shall be endangered thereby.
Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
If the serpent biteth 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 mischievous 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 is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
15 The labor of the foolish wearies every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city.
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 By much slothfulness the building decays; and through idleness of the hands the house drops through.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry: but money answers all things.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
20 Curse not the king, no not in your thought; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.
Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.
