Ecclesiastes 10
1 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!
Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
Cor sapientis in dextera ejus, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.
3 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.”
Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.
4 If the spirit of the ruler goes up against you, do not leave your place, For yielding quiets great sinners.
Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris, quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As ignorance that goes out from the ruler,
Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:
6 He has set the fool in many high places, And the rich sits in a low place.
positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
Vidi servos in equis, et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.
8 Whoever is digging a pit falls into it, And whoever is breaking a hedge, a serpent bites him.
Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.
9 Whoever is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoever is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.
10 If the iron has been blunt, And he has not sharpened the face, Then he increases strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.
Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.
11 If the serpent bites without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
initium verborum ejus stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.
14 And the fool multiplies words: “Man does not know that which is—And that which is after him, who declares to him?”
Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?
15 The labor of the foolish wearies him, In that he has not known to go to the city.
Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.
16 Woe to you, O land, when your king [is] a youth, And your princes eat in the morning.
Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.
17 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.
Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est, et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo, ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands the house drops.
In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine makes life joyful, And the silver answers with all.
In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.
20 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.
In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti: quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.
