Ecclesiastes 10
1 Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a stinking odour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.
Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.
2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart is at his left.
Cor sapientis in dextera ejus, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.
3 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.
Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.
4 If the spirit of the ruler riseth against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris, quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
Vidi servos in equis, et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.
9 Whoever removeth stones shall be hurt by them; and he that cutteth wood shall be endangered by it.
Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.
10 If the iron is blunt, and he doth not whet the edge, then must he use more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.
11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.
12 The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
initium verborum ejus stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.
14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.
17 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!
Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est, et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo, ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.
18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.
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.
In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti: quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.
