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 savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
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.”
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.
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 thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
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 proceedeth 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 upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
8 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth 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 labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth 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 thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy 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 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!
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth 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 maketh merry: but money answereth 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 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.
