Ecclesiastes 10
1 muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti pretiosior est sapientia et gloria parva ad tempus stultitia
Dead flies cause a perfumer’s perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honor—a little folly!
2 cor sapientis in dextera eius et cor stulti in sinistra illius
The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
3 sed et in via stultus ambulans cum ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat
And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he has said to everyone, “He [is] a fool.”
4 si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia curatio cessare faciet peccata maxima
If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
5 est malum quod vidi sub sole quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis
There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
6 positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
7 vidi servos in equis et principes ambulantes quasi servos super terram
I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 qui fodit foveam incidet in eam et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber
Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
9 qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
10 si retunsum fuerit ferrum et hoc non ut prius sed hebetatum erit multo labore exacuatur et post industriam sequitur sapientia
If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
12 verba oris sapientis gratia et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum
Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
13 initium verborum eius stultitia et novissimum oris illius error pessimus
The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
14 stultus verba multiplicat ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit et quod post futurum est quis illi poterit indicare
And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
15 labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
16 vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
17 beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
Blessed are you, O land, When your king [is] a son of nobles, And your princes eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness.
18 in pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus
By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
19 in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
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
Even in your mind do not revile a king, And in the inner parts of your bed-chamber do not revile the rich: For a bird of the heavens causes the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declares the word.
