Ecclesiastes 10

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

Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer loathsome and corrupt; thus doth a little folly weigh down wisdom and honor.

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

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

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

Yea, even when the fool walketh in the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against you, leave not your place; for soothing will put an end to great offenses.

If the anger of a ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place! for gentleness pacifieth great offences.

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

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun; an error which proceedeth from a ruler.

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

Folly is set in many high stations, and the noble sit in a low place.

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

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

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

He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh down a wall, a serpent shall bite him.

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

Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith, and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

10 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.

If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put forth more strength; but an advantage for giving success hath wisdom.

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

If a serpent bite before he is charmed, then there is no advantage to the charmer.

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

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool are his destruction.

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

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

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

A fool also multiplieth words, though no man knoweth what shall be; and who can tell him what shall be after him?

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

The labor of the foolish man wearieth him, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

16 Woe to you, O city, whose king is young, and your princes eat in the morning!

Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes feast in the morning!

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

Happy thou, O land, when thy king is a noble, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

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

By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and by the slackness of the hands the house leaketh.

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

A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answereth all things.

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

Curse not the king; no, not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber! for a bird of the air shall carry the voice; and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.