Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
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.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.
3 And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
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.
4 If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for yielding pacifies great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceeds from the ruler:
6 He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
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 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Whoever removes stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that splits wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
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.
11 If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
The labor of the foolish wearies every one of them, because he knows not how to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat in the morning!
17 Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
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!
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
By much slothfulness the building decays; and through idleness of the hands the house drops through.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry: but money answers all things.
20 Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
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.
