Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the precious oil of the apothecary to become stinking and foaming; so doth a little folly him that is valued for wisdom and honor.
Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.
2 The heart of a wise man is at his right hand; but the heart of a fool is at his left.
Cor sapientis in dextera ejus, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.
3 Yea also, on whatever way the fool walketh, doth he lack proper sense, and he saith to all that he is a fool.
Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for submissiveness causeth great offences to be avoided.
Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris, quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:
6 Folly is set in great high places, and the rich sit in lowness.
positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.
7 I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants upon the ground.—
Vidi servos in equis, et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.
8 He that diggeth a pit will fall into it; and him who breaketh down a fence—a serpent will bite him.
Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.
9 Whoso removeth stones will be hurt through them; and he that cleaveth wood will be endangered thereby.
Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.
10 If the iron be blunt, and man do not whet the edge, then must he exert more strength; but the advantage of making it properly sharp is wisdom.
Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.
11 If the serpent do bite because no one uttered a charm, then hath the man that can use his tongue [in charming] no preference.—
Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth [bring] grace; but the lips of a fool will destroy himself.
Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the last that cometh out of his mouth is evil-bringing madness.
initium verborum ejus stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.
14 The fool also multiplieth words; [but] a man cannot know what is to be; and what is to be after him, who can tell him?
Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?
15 The toil of the foolish will weary every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.—
Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is lowminded, and when thy princes eat in the morning!
Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.
17 Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is noble-spirited, and thy princes eat in proper time, for strengthening, and not for gluttony!—
Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est, et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo, ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.
18 Through slothful hands the rafters will sink; and through idleness of the hands the house will become leaky.
In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.
19 For gay pleasure they prepare a feast, and wine is to make the living joyful; but money procureth all things.
In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.
20 Even in thy thought thou must not curse a king; and in thy bed-chambers do not curse the rich; for a bird of the air can carry the sound, and that which hath wings can tell the word.
In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti: quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.
