Ecclesiastes 10
1 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!
Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer to send forth an evil odor, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left.
3 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.'
Yea also, when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.
4 If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
If the spirit of the ruler rises up against thee, leave not thy place, for deference allays great offenses.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceeds from the ruler:
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen servants upon horses, and rulers walking like servants upon the earth.
8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
He who digs a pit shall fall into it, and he who breaks through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
He who hews out stones shall be hurt therewith, and he who splits wood is endangered thereby.
10 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.
If the iron be blunt, and he does not whet the edge, then he must increase strength. But wisdom is advantageous to make right.
11 If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
If the serpent bites before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, but the lips of a fool will swallow himself up.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
A fool also multiplies words; yet man knows not what shall be, and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
The labor of fools wearies every one of them, for he knows not how to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy rulers feast in the morning!
17 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.
Happy are thou, O land, when thy king is the son of noble men, and thy rulers feast in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
By slothfulness the roof sinks in, and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes glad the life, and money answers all things.
20 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.
Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought, and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber. For a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which has wings shall tell the matter.
