Eclesiastes 10
1 Kas ti panangpabangsit dagiti natay a tumatayab iti pabanglo, kasta met a ringbawan ti bassit a kinamaag ti kinatan-ok ken kinasirib.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 Adda iti makannawan ti puso ti nasirib a tao, ngem adda ti makannigid ti puso ti maag.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 No magmagna ti maag iti dalan, kurang ti panagpanpanunotna, panpaneknekanna iti tunggal maysa a maag isuna.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 No makaunget kenka ti mangiturturay, saanmo a panawan ti trabahom. Mapagulimek ti kinatalna ti kasta unay a pungtot.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Adda kinadakes a nakitak iti baba ti init, maysa a biddut nga agtataud iti mangiturturay:
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Maik-ikkan iti panangidaulo a saad dagiti maag, kabayatan a maikkan iti nababa a saad dagiti naballigi a lallaki.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Nakakitaak kadagiti tagabu nga agluglugan kadagiti kabalyo, ken magmagna iti daga a kasla tagabu dagiti naballigi a lallaki.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Siasinoman nga agkali iti abut ket mabalin a matnag iti daytoy, ken no adda mangrebba iti pader, mabalin a kagaten isuna ti uleg.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 Siasinoman nga agtikap kadagiti bato ket mabalin a madangran babaen kadagitoy, ken ti tao nga agbalsig ti kayo ket agpeggad iti daytoy.
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 No namudel ti landok a patadem, ken saan nga asaen ti tao daytoy, masapul ngarud nga ad-adu a pigsa ti usarenna, ngem mangipapaay ti kinasirib iti pagimbagan para iti panagballigi.
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 No kimmagat ti uleg sakbay a napaamo, ket awanen ngarud ti pagimbagan para iti mangpapaamo.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Naparabur dagiti sasao ti nasirib a tao, ngem alun-unen dagiti bibig ti maag ti bagina.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Kas mangrugi a rummuar dagiti sasao iti ngiwat ti maag, rummuar ti kinamaag, ken iti pagleppasan ti panagsasaona ket rummuar ti nadangkes a kinamauyong.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 Papaaduen ti maag dagiti sasao, ngem awan ti makaammo no ania ti dumteng. Siasino ti makaammo no ania ti dumteng kalpasanna?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Ti kinagaed nga agtrabaho dagiti maag ti mangbannog kadakuada, a saanda payen nga ammo ti dalan nga agturong iti ili.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Adda ti riribuk iti daga no ubing ti ariyo, ken mangrugi nga agrambak dagiti mangidadauloyo iti agsapa!
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 Ngem naragsak ti daga no ti ariyo ket anak dagiti natatakneng, ken mangan dagiti mangidadauloyo no tiempon ti pannangan ken aramidenda dayta para iti pigsa ken saan a para iti kinamammartek!
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 Gapu iti kinasadut, agbayukyok ti atep, ken agtedted ti balay gapu kadagiti sadut nga ima.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 Agisagana dagiti tattao iti taraon para ti katkatawa, mangiyeg ti arak iti ragsak iti biag, ken sungbatan ti kuarta ti pagkasapulan para kadagiti amin a banbanag.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 Saanmo nga ilunod ti ari, saan uray iti panunotmo, ken saanmo nga ilunod dagiti nababaknang a tattao iti kuartom. Ta mabalin nga awiten ti billit iti tangatang dagiti sasaom; mabalin nga iwaras ti aniaman nga adda payyakna ti maysa a banag.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
