< 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 honour — 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 hath said to every one, '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 go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth 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 an error that goeth out from the ruler,
6 positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
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
Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
9 qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso 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 hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
11 si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
If the serpent biteth 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 multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
15 labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
16 vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
17 beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do 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 doth the house drop.
19 in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth 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 thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word.

< Ecclesiastes 10 >