Ecclesiastes 10

1 Dead flies, cause to stink [and] ferment, the oil of the perfumer, —More costly than wisdom or honour, is a little folly.

Dead flies cause the ointment of the perfumer to send forth a stinking savour: [so] doth a little folly outweigh wisdom and honour.

2 The sense of the wise, is on his right hand, —But, the sense of the dullard, on his left:

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

3 Yea, even by the way, as the foolish man walketh along, his sense faileth him—and he telleth everyone that, foolish, is he!

Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his understanding faileth him, and he saith to every one [that] he is a fool.

4 If, the spirit of a ruler, riseth up against thee, thy place, do not leave, for gentleness, pacifieth such as have greatly erred.

If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding allayeth great offences.

5 Here was a misfortune I had seen under the sun, —a veritable mistake that was going forth from the presence of one who had power:

There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

6 Folly placed in great dignity, —while, the rich, in a low place, took their seat:

folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

7 I had seen, servants, upon horses, —and, rulers, walking like servants, on the ground.

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

8 He that diggeth a pit, thereinto, may fall, —and, he that breaketh through a hedge, there may bite him a serpent.

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

9 He that removeth stones, may be hurt therewith, —and he that cleaveth wood, may be endangered thereby.

Whoso heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.

10 If, blunt, be the iron, and, himself, hath not sharpened, the edge, then, much force, must he apply, —but, an advantage for giving success, is wisdom.

If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

11 If a serpent will bite, unless he is charmed, then there is nothing better for him that owneth a tongue.

If the serpent bite before it be charmed, then is there no advantage in the charmer.

12 The words of a wise man’s mouth, are pleasant, —but, the lips of a dullard, will swallow him up:

The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

13 The beginning of the words of his mouth, is folly, —but, the latter end of his speech, is mischievous madness.

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

14 Yet, a foolish man, multiplieth words, —[though] no man knoweth that which hath been, and, that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

A fool also multiplieth words: [yet] man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?

15 The toil of dullards, shall weary a man, that he knoweth not how to go into the city.

The labour of fools wearieth every one of them, for he knoweth not how to go to the city.

16 Alas! for thee, O land, when thy king is a boy, —and, thy rulers, in the morning, do eat:

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

17 How happy art thou, O land, when thy king is a son of nobles, —and, thy rulers, in season, do eat, for strength, and not for debauchery.

Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

18 By two lazy arms, the framework sinketh in, —and, by the hanging down of the hands, the house may leak.

By slothfulness the roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.

19 Merrily people make bread, and, wine, gladdeneth life, —but, money, answereth all things.

A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life: and money answereth all things.

20 Even in thy thought, do not revile, the king, nor, within thy bed-chambers, revile thou the rich, —for, a bird of the heavens, might carry the voice, yea, an owner of wings, might tell the matter.

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