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 cause the oil of the perfumer to produce an evil odor; so does a little folly outweigh 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 heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart 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.'
Yes also when the fool walks by the way, his understanding fails him, and he says to everyone 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 spirit of the ruler rises up against you, don’t leave your place; for gentleness lays great offenses to rest.
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, the sort of error which proceeds from the ruler.
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking like servants on the earth.
8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
He who digs a pit may fall into it; and whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
Whoever carves out stones may be injured by them. Whoever splits wood may be endangered by it.
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 ax is blunt, and one doesn’t sharpen the edge, then he must use more strength; but skill brings success.
11 If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
If the snake bites before it is charmed, then is there no profit for the charmer’s tongue.
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 a fool is swallowed by his own lips.
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 foolishness; 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 multiplies words. Man doesn’t know what will be; and that which will be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
The labor of fools wearies every one of them; for he doesn’t know 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 you, land, when your king is a child, and your princes eat 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 are you, land, when your king is the son of nobles, and your 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 slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.
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 the life glad; and money is the answer for 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.
Don’t curse the king, no, not in your thoughts; and don’t curse the rich in your bedroom, for a bird of the sky may carry your voice, and that which has wings may tell the matter.
