Ecclesiastes 10

1 Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.

Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.

2 The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.

A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

3 And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.

4 If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.

5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.

6 The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.

The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.

7 I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.

I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.

8 He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.

He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.

9 He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.

He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.

10 If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.

If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.

11 If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.

If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.

12 The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.

13 The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.

The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.

14 The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?

A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?

15 The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.

The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.

16 Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.

Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!

17 Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.

Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.

18 When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.

By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.

19 A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.

Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.

20 Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.

Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.