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!
muscae morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti pretiosior est sapientia et gloria parva ad tempus stultitia
2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.
cor sapientis in dextera eius et cor stulti in sinistra illius
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.'
sed et in via stultus ambulans cum ipse insipiens sit omnes stultos aestimat
4 If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.
si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te locum tuum ne dimiseris quia curatio cessare faciet peccata maxima
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,
est malum quod vidi sub sole quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis
6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.
positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum
7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.
vidi servos in equis et principes ambulantes quasi servos super terram
8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.
qui fodit foveam incidet in eam et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber
9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.
qui transfert lapides adfligetur in eis et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis
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.
si retunsum fuerit ferrum et hoc non ut prius sed hebetatum erit multo labore exacuatur et post industriam sequitur sapientia
11 If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.
si mordeat serpens in silentio nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit
12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.
verba oris sapientis gratia et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
initium verborum eius stultitia et novissimum oris illius error pessimus
14 And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?'
stultus verba multiplicat ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit et quod post futurum est quis illi poterit indicare
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city.
labor stultorum adfliget eos qui nesciunt in urbem pergere
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning.
vae tibi terra cuius rex est puer et cuius principes mane comedunt
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.
beata terra cuius rex nobilis est et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam
18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop.
in pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus
19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all.
in risu faciunt panem ac vinum ut epulentur viventes et pecuniae oboedient omnia
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.
in cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti quia avis caeli portabit vocem tuam et qui habet pinnas adnuntiabit sententiam
