Ecclesiastes 10
1 As dead flies cause perfume to stink, so a little folly can overpower wisdom and honor.
Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!
2 The heart of a wise person tends to the right, but the heart of a fool tends to the left.
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 When a fool walks down a road, his thinking is deficient, proving to everyone he is a fool.
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.'
4 If the emotions of a ruler rise up against you, do not leave your work. Calm can quiet down great outrage.
If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, a kind of error that comes from a ruler:
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
6 Fools are given leadership positions, while successful men are given low positions.
He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
7 I have seen slaves riding horses, and successful men walking like slaves on the ground.
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Anyone who digs a pit can fall into it, and whenever someone breaks down a wall, a snake can bite him.
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
9 Whoever cuts out stones can be hurt by them, and the man who chops wood is endangered by it.
Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 If an iron blade is dull, and a man does not sharpen it, then he must use more strength, but wisdom provides an advantage for success.
If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed, then there is no advantage for the charmer.
If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool consume him.
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 As words begin to flow from a fool's mouth, foolishness comes out, and at the end his mouth flows with wicked madness.
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 A fool multiplies words, but no one knows what is coming. Who knows what is coming after him?
And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
15 The toil of fools wearies them, so that they do not even know the road to town.
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
16 Woe to you, land, if your king is a young boy, and if your leaders begin feasting in the morning!
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
17 But blessed are you, land, if your king is the son of nobles, and if your leaders eat at the right time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 Because of laziness the roof sinks in, and because of idle hands the house leaks.
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
19 People prepare food for laughter, wine brings enjoyment to life, and money fills the need for everything.
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
20 Do not curse the king, not even in your mind, and do not curse rich people in your bedroom. For a bird of the sky might carry your words; whatever has wings can spread the matter.
Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.
