Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a stinking savour: [so] doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.
Dead flies cause to stinke, and putrifie the ointment of the apoticarie: so doeth a litle follie him that is in estimation for wisedome, and for glorie.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.
The heart of a wise man is at his right hand: but the heart of a foole is at his left hand.
3 Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one [that] he is a fool.
And also when the foole goeth by the way, his heart faileth, and he telleth vnto all that he is a foole.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding allayeth great offences.
If the spirite of him that ruleth, rise vp against thee, leaue not thy place: for gentlenes pacifieth great sinnes.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
There is an euil that I haue seene vnder the sunne, as an errour that proceedeth from the face of him that ruleth.
6 folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
Follie is set in great excellencie, and the riche set in the lowe place.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
I haue seene seruants on horses, and princes walking as seruants on the ground.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a fence, a serpent shall bite him.
He that diggeth a pit, shall fal into it, and he that breaketh the hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
He that remooueth stones, shall hurt himselfe thereby, and hee that cutteth wood, shall be in danger thereby.
10 If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
If the yron be blunt, and one hath not whet the edge, he must then put to more strength: but the excellencie to direct a thing is wisedome.
11 If the serpent bite before it be charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
If the serpent bite, when he is not charmed: no better is a babbler.
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
The words of ye mouth of a wise man haue grace: but the lippes of a foole deuoure himselfe.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
The beginning of the wordes of his mouth is foolishnesse, and the latter ende of his mouth is wicked madnesse.
14 A fool also multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
For the foole multiplieth woordes, saying, Man knoweth not what shall be: and who can tell him what shall be after him?
15 The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
The labour of the foolish doeth wearie him: for he knoweth not to goe into the citie.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Woe to thee, O lande, when thy King is a childe, and thy princes eate in the morning.
17 Happy 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!
Blessed art thou, O land, when thy King is the sonne of nobles, and thy princes eate in time, for strength and not for drunkennesse.
18 By slothfulness the roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.
By slouthfulnes the roofe of the house goeth to decaie, and by the ydlenesse of the handes the house droppeth through.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life: and money answereth all things.
They prepare bread for laughter, and wine comforteth the liuing, but siluer answereth to all.
20 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.
Curse not the King, no not in thy thought, neither curse the rich in thy bed chamber: for the foule of the heauen shall carie the voice, and that which hath wings, shall declare the matter.
