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!
Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer loathsome and corrupt; thus doth a little folly weigh down wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
A wise man's mind is at his right hand; but a fool's mind is at his left.
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.'
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 go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
If the anger of a ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place! for gentleness pacifieth great offences.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun; an error which proceedeth from a ruler.
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
Folly is set in many high stations, and the noble sit in a low place.
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on foot.
8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh down a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith, and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
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.
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 the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
If a serpent bite before he is charmed, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool 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 latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly, and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to 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 labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
The labor of the foolish man wearieth him, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes feast in the morning!
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.
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 slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and by the slackness of the hands the house leaketh.
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry; but money answereth all things.
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.
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.
