Ecclesiastes 10
1 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!
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 hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.'
Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.
4 If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth 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 an error that goeth out from the ruler,
Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
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 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.
10 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.
Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.
11 If the serpent biteth 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 multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.
17 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.
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 doth the house drop.
In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.
20 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.
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.
