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!
muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti pretiosior est sapientia et gloria parva ad tempus stultitia
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
cor sapientis in dextera eius et cor stulti in sinistra illius
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.”
sed et in via stultus ambulans cum ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat
4 If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia curatio cessare faciet peccata maxima
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
est malum quod vidi sub sole quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis
6 He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
vidi servos in equis et principes ambulantes quasi servos super terram
8 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
qui fodit foveam incidet in eam et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
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.
si retunsum fuerit ferrum et hoc non ut prius sed hebetatum erit multo labore exacuatur et post industriam sequitur sapientia
11 If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
verba oris sapientis gratia et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
initium verborum eius stultitia et novissimum oris illius error pessimus
14 And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
stultus verba multiplicat ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit et quod post futurum est quis illi poterit indicare
15 The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
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.
beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
in pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
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.
in cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti quia avis caeli portabit vocem tuam et qui habet pinnas adnuntiabit sententiam
