קֹהֶלֶת 10

1 זְבוּבֵי מָוֶת יַבְאִישׁ יַבִּיעַ שֶׁמֶן רוֹקֵחַ יָקָר מֵחׇכְמָה מִכָּבוֹד סִכְלוּת מְעָֽט׃

Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.

2 לֵב חָכָם לִֽימִינוֹ וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃

The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.

3 וְגַם־בַּדֶּרֶךְ (כשהסכל) [כְּשֶׁסָּכָל] הֹלֵךְ לִבּוֹ חָסֵר וְאָמַר לַכֹּל סָכָל הֽוּא׃

And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

4 אִם־רוּחַ הַמּוֹשֵׁל תַּעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מְקוֹמְךָ אַל־תַּנַּח כִּי מַרְפֵּא יַנִּיחַ חֲטָאִים גְּדוֹלִֽים׃

If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.

5 יֵשׁ רָעָה רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ כִּשְׁגָגָה שֶׁיֹּצָא מִלִּפְנֵי הַשַּׁלִּֽיט׃

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

6 נִתַּן הַסֶּכֶל בַּמְּרוֹמִים רַבִּים וַעֲשִׁירִים בַּשֵּׁפֶל יֵשֵֽׁבוּ׃

The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.

7 רָאִיתִי עֲבָדִים עַל־סוּסִים וְשָׂרִים הֹלְכִים כַּעֲבָדִים עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.

8 חֹפֵר גּוּמָּץ בּוֹ יִפּוֹל וּפֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָֽשׁ׃

He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.

9 מַסִּיעַ אֲבָנִים יֵעָצֵב בָּהֶם בּוֹקֵעַ עֵצִים יִסָּכֶן בָּֽם׃

He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.

10 אִם־קֵהָה הַבַּרְזֶל וְהוּא לֹא־פָנִים קִלְקַל וַחֲיָלִים יְגַבֵּר וְיִתְרוֹן הַכְשֵׁיר חׇכְמָֽה׃

If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.

11 אִם־יִשֹּׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ בְּלוֹא־לָחַשׁ וְאֵין יִתְרוֹן לְבַעַל הַלָּשֽׁוֹן׃

If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.

12 דִּבְרֵי פִי־חָכָם חֵן וְשִׂפְתוֹת כְּסִיל תְּבַלְּעֶֽנּוּ׃

The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

13 תְּחִלַּת דִּבְרֵי־פִיהוּ סִכְלוּת וְאַחֲרִית פִּיהוּ הוֹלֵלוּת רָעָֽה׃

The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.

14 וְהַסָּכָל יַרְבֶּה דְבָרִים לֹא־יֵדַע הָאָדָם מַה־שֶּׁיִּֽהְיֶה וַאֲשֶׁר יִֽהְיֶה מֵֽאַחֲרָיו מִי יַגִּיד לֽוֹ׃

The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?

15 עֲמַל הַכְּסִילִים תְּיַגְּעֶנּוּ אֲשֶׁר לֹֽא־יָדַע לָלֶכֶת אֶל־עִֽיר׃

The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.

16 אִֽי־לָךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ נָעַר וְשָׂרַיִךְ בַּבֹּקֶר יֹאכֵֽלוּ׃

Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.

17 אַשְׁרֵיךְ אֶרֶץ שֶׁמַּלְכֵּךְ בֶּן־חוֹרִים וְשָׂרַיִךְ בָּעֵת יֹאכֵלוּ בִּגְבוּרָה וְלֹא בַשְּׁתִֽי׃

Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.

18 בַּעֲצַלְתַּיִם יִמַּךְ הַמְּקָרֶה וּבְשִׁפְלוּת יָדַיִם יִדְלֹף הַבָּֽיִת׃

When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.

19 לִשְׂחוֹק עֹשִׂים לֶחֶם וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח חַיִּים וְהַכֶּסֶף יַעֲנֶה אֶת־הַכֹּֽל׃

A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.

20 גַּם בְּמַדָּֽעֲךָ מֶלֶךְ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל וּבְחַדְרֵי מִשְׁכָּבְךָ אַל־תְּקַלֵּל עָשִׁיר כִּי עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יוֹלִיךְ אֶת־הַקּוֹל וּבַעַל (הכנפים) [כְּנָפַיִם] יַגֵּיד דָּבָֽר׃

Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.