Ecclesiastes 10
1 muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti pretiosior est sapientia et gloria parva ad tempus stultitia
Dead flies can make perfumed oil smell bad. Likewise a little foolishness outweighs great wisdom and honor.
2 cor sapientis in dextera eius et cor stulti in sinistra illius
The mind of the wise person chooses the right side, but the mind of the fool goes left!
3 sed et in via stultus ambulans cum ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat
Just the way that fools walk down the road shows they have no sense, making clear to everyone their stupidity.
4 si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia curatio cessare faciet peccata maxima
If your superior gets angry with you, don't give up and leave. If you stay calm even bad mistakes can be resolved.
5 est malum quod vidi sub sole quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis
I also realized there's another evil here on earth: rulers make a big mistake
6 positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
when they put fools in high positions, while those who are richly qualified are put in low positions.
7 vidi servos in equis et principes ambulantes quasi servos super terram
I've seen slaves riding on horseback, while princes walk on the ground like slaves.
8 qui fodit foveam incidet in eam et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber
If you dig a pit, you could fall in. If you knock down a wall, you could be bitten by a snake.
9 qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
If you quarry stone, you could be injured. If you split logs, you could be hurt.
10 si retunsum fuerit ferrum et hoc non ut prius sed hebetatum erit multo labore exacuatur et post industriam sequitur sapientia
If your ax is blunt and you don't sharpen it, you have to use a lot more force. Conclusion: being wise brings good results.
11 si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
If the snake bites the snake charmer before it's charmed, there's no benefit to the snake charmer!
12 verba oris sapientis gratia et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum
Wise words are beneficial, but fools destroy themselves by what they say.
13 initium verborum eius stultitia et novissimum oris illius error pessimus
Fools begin by saying foolish things, and end up talking evil nonsense.
14 stultus verba multiplicat ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit et quod post futurum est quis illi poterit indicare
Fools talk on and on, however no one knows what's going to happen, so who can say what the future holds?
15 labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
Work makes fools so worn out they can't achieve anything.
16 vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
You're in trouble if the king of your country is young, and if your leaders are busy feasting from early morning.
17 beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
You're fortunate if your king comes from a noble family, and your leaders feast at the proper time to give themselves energy, and not to get drunk.
18 in pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus
Lazy people let their roofs collapse; idle people don't repair their leaky houses.
19 in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
A good meal brings pleasure; wine makes life pleasant; money provides for all needs.
20 in cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti quia avis caeli portabit vocem tuam et qui habet pinnas adnuntiabit sententiam
Don't talk badly about the king, not even in your thoughts. Don't talk badly about leaders, even in the privacy of your bedroom. A bird may hear what you say and fly away to tell them.
