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 to stink [and] ferment, the oil of the perfumer, —More costly than wisdom or honour, is a little folly.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
The sense of the wise, is on his right hand, —But, the sense of the dullard, on 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, even by the way, as the foolish man walketh along, his sense faileth him—and he telleth everyone that, foolish, is he!
4 If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
If, the spirit of a ruler, riseth up against thee, thy place, do not leave, for gentleness, pacifieth such as have greatly erred.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, —a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
Folly placed in great dignity, —while, the rich, in a low place, took their seat:
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
I had seen, servants, upon horses, —and, rulers, walking like servants, on the ground.
8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, may fall, —and, he that breaketh through a hedge, there may bite him a serpent.
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
He that removeth stones, may be hurt therewith, —and he that cleaveth wood, may be 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, blunt, be the iron, and, himself, hath not sharpened, the edge, then, much force, must he apply, —but, an advantage for giving success, is wisdom.
11 If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.
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 pleasant, —but, the lips of a dullard, will swallow him 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 folly, —but, the latter end of his speech, 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?'
Yet, a foolish man, multiplieth words, —[though] no man knoweth that which hath been, 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 toil of dullards, shall weary a man, that he knoweth not how to go into the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
Alas! for thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, —and, thy rulers, in the morning, do eat:
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.
How happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, —and, thy rulers, in season, do eat, for strength, and not for debauchery.
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
By two lazy arms, the framework sinketh in, —and, by the hanging down of the hands, the house may leak.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
Merrily people make bread, and, wine, gladdeneth life, —but, money, answereth 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.
Even in thy thought, do not revile, the king, nor, within thy bed-chambers, revile thou the rich, —for, a bird of the heavens, might carry the voice, yea, an owner of wings, might tell the matter.
