Ecclesiastes 10
1 Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
3 Yes, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas be himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for soothing will put an end to great offenses.
If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:
6 The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.
8 He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
10 If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.
11 If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
12 The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
14 A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labor of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not bow to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, O city, whose king is young, and your princes eat in the morning!
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning.
17 Blessed are you, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.
18 By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.
19 Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.
20 Even in your conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in your bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry your voice, and that which has wings shall report your speech.
Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.
