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!
Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
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, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
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 soothing will put an end to 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, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
6 He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
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 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 him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves 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 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.
11 If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
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 folly: and the end of his talk 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 moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
15 The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
The labor of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not 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 city, whose king is young, 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, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
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.
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.
