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 to stink [and] ferment, the oil of the perfumer, —More costly than wisdom or honour, is a little folly.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
The sense of the wise, is on his right hand, —But, the sense of the dullard, on 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, even by the way, as the foolish man walketh along, his sense faileth him—and he telleth everyone that, foolish, is he!
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 a ruler, riseth up against thee, thy place, do not leave, for gentleness, pacifieth such as have greatly erred.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, —a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:
6 He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
Folly placed in great dignity, —while, the rich, in a low place, took their seat:
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
I had seen, servants, upon horses, —and, rulers, walking like servants, on the ground.
8 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, may fall, —and, he that breaketh through a hedge, there may bite him a serpent.
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
He that removeth stones, may be hurt therewith, —and he that cleaveth wood, may 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, blunt, be the iron, and, himself, hath not sharpened, the edge, then, much force, must he apply, —but, an advantage for giving success, is wisdom.
11 If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.
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 pleasant, —but, the lips of a dullard, 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, —but, the latter end of his speech, 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?”
Yet, a foolish man, multiplieth words, —[though] no man knoweth that which hath been, and, that which 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 toil of dullards, shall weary a man, that he knoweth not how to go into the city.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
Alas! for thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, —and, thy rulers, in the morning, do eat:
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.
How happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, —and, thy rulers, in season, do eat, for strength, and not for debauchery.
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
By two lazy arms, the framework sinketh in, —and, by the hanging down of the hands, the house may leak.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
Merrily people make bread, and, wine, gladdeneth life, —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.
Even in thy thought, do not revile, the king, nor, within thy bed-chambers, revile thou the rich, —for, a bird of the heavens, might carry the voice, yea, an owner of wings, might tell the matter.
