Ecclesiastes 10
1 muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti pretiosior est sapientia et gloria parva ad tempus stultitia
[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 cor sapientis in dextera eius et cor stulti in sinistra illius
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 sed et in via stultus ambulans cum ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat
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 si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia curatio cessare faciet peccata maxima
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 est malum quod vidi sub sole quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 vidi servos in equis et principes ambulantes quasi servos super terram
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 qui fodit foveam incidet in eam et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber
[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 qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
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 si retunsum fuerit ferrum et hoc non ut prius sed hebetatum erit multo labore exacuatur et post industriam sequitur sapientia
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 si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 verba oris sapientis gratia et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum
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 initium verborum eius stultitia et novissimum oris illius error pessimus
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 stultus verba multiplicat ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit et quod post futurum est quis illi poterit indicare
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
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 beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
[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 in pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus
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 in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
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 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
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].
