Ecclesiastes 10
1 [A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth an offensive odor: [so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honor.
2 If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart [is] at his left.
3 Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
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 Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
If the spirit of the ruler riseth against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offenses.
5 There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
There is an evil [which] I have seen under the sun, as an error [which] proceedeth from the ruler:
6 They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
7 They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
8 [It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
Whoever removeth stones shall be hurt by them; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered by it.
10 If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
If the iron is blunt, and he doth not whet the edge, then must he use more strength: but wisdom [is] profitable to direct.
11 If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
12 Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
The words of a wise man's mouth [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] foolishness: and the end of his talk [is] mischievous madness.
14 They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
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 Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
The labor of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16 Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 [But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
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 Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
19 Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all [things].
20 Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air will carry the voice, and that which hath wings will tell the matter.
