Ecclesiastes 10
1 Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.
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.
2 The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.
A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart is at his left.
3 But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis.
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 If the spirit of hym, that hath power, stieth on thee, forsake thou not thi place; for heeling schal make gretteste synnes to ceesse.
If the spirit of the ruler riseth against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
5 An yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne, and goith out as bi errour fro the face of the prince; a fool set in hiy dignyte,
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
6 and riche men sitte bynethe.
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
7 I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
8 He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.
Whoever removeth stones shall be hurt by them; and he that cutteth wood shall be endangered by it.
10 If yrun is foldid ayen, and this is not as bifore, but is maad blunt, it schal be maad scharp with myche trauel; and wisdom schal sue aftir bisynesse.
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 serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.
Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
12 The wordis of the mouth of a wijs man is grace; and the lippis of an vnwijs man schulen caste hym doun.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 A fool multiplieth wordis; a man noot, what was bifore hym, and who mai schewe to hym that, that schal come aftir hym?
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 The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.
The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16 Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 Blessid is the lond, whos kyng is noble; and whose princis eten in her tyme, to susteyne the kynde, and not to waste.
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 The hiynesse of housis schal be maad low in slouthis; and the hous schal droppe in the feblenesse of hondis.
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
19 In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
20 In thi thouyt bacbite thou not the kyng, and in the priuete of thi bed, curse thou not a riche man; for the briddis of heuene schulen bere thi vois, and he that hath pennys, schal telle the sentence.
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.
