Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: [so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for 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 heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool’s heart 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 he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom 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 yielding pacifieth 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, as an error [which] proceedeth from the 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 in great dignity, 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 an hedge, 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 removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be 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 he 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 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
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] mischievous madness.
The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.
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?
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 the foolish wearieth every one of them, because 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 child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.
17 Blessed [art] thou, O land, when thy king [is] the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for 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 much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
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 merry: but 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.
