Pengkhotbah 10
1 Bangkai lalat membusukkan sebotol minyak wangi, sedikit kebodohan menghilangkan hikmat yang tinggi.
[A few] dead flies in [a bottle of] perfume cause [all] the perfume to stink. Similarly [SIM], a small amount of acting foolishly can have a greater effect than acting wisely.
2 Wajarlah kalau orang arif melakukan kebajikan, dan orang bodoh melakukan kejahatan.
If people think sensibly, it will lead them to do what is right; if they think foolishly, it causes them to do what is wrong.
3 Kebodohannya tampak pada segala gerak-geriknya. Dan kepada semua orang ditunjukkannya kedunguannya.
Even while foolish people walk along the road, they show that they do not have good sense; they show everyone that they are not wise.
4 Jika engkau dimarahi penguasa, janganlah minta berhenti bekerja. Biarpun kesalahanmu besar, engkau dimaafkan bila tenang dan sabar.
Do not quit working for a ruler when he is angry with you; if you remain calm, he will [probably] stop being angry.
5 Ada kejahatan lain yang kulihat di dunia, yaitu penyelewengan para penguasa.
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 Orang bodoh diberi kedudukan yang mulia, sedangkan orang terkemuka tak mendapat apa-apa.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Pernah kulihat budak-budak menunggang kuda sedangkan kaum bangsawan berjalan kaki seperti hamba.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Siapa menggali lubang, akan jatuh ke dalamnya; siapa mendobrak tembok akan digigit ular berbisa.
[It is possible that] those who dig pits will fall into one of those pits. [It is possible that] someone who tears down a wall will be bitten by a snake [that is in that wall].
9 Siapa bekerja di tambang batu, akan terbentur dan luka. Siapa membelah kayu, mungkin sekali mendapat cedera.
If you work in a quarry, [it is possible that] a stone [will fall on you and] injure you. [It is possible that] men who split logs will be injured by one of those logs.
10 Apabila parangmu tumpul dan tidak kauasah, engkau harus bekerja dengan lebih bersusah payah. Pakailah akal sehatmu, dan buatlah rencana lebih dahulu.
If your axe is not sharp [DOU], you will need to work harder [to cut down a tree], but by being wise, you will succeed.
11 Kalau ular menggigit sebelum dijinakkan dengan mantera, maka pawang ular tak ada lagi gunanya.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Ucapan orang arif membuat ia dihormati, tetapi orang bodoh binasa karena kata-katanya sendiri.
Wise people say [MTY] what is sensible, and because of that, people honor them; but foolish people are destroyed by what they say [MTY].
13 Ia mulai dengan omong kosong biasa, tetapi akhirnya bicaranya seperti orang gila.
When foolish people start to talk, they say things that are foolish, and they end by saying things that are both wicked and foolish.
14 Memang, orang bodoh banyak bicara. Hari depan tersembunyi bagi kita semua. Tak ada yang dapat meramalkan kejadian setelah kita tiada.
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Cuma orang bodoh yang tak tahu jalan ke rumahnya, ia bekerja keras dengan tak henti-hentinya.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Celakalah negeri yang rajanya muda belia, dan para pembesarnya semalam suntuk berpesta pora.
Terrible things will happen to the people of a nation whose ruler is a foolish young man, and whose [other] leaders continually eat, all day long, every day.
17 Mujurlah negeri yang rajanya berwibawa, yang pembesarnya makan pada waktunya, tak suka mabuk dan pandai menahan dirinya.
[But] a nation will prosper if its ruler is from a (noble/well-educated) family, and if its [other] leaders feast [only] at the proper times, and [if they eat and drink only] to be strong, not to become drunk.
18 Atap rumah akan bocor kalau tidak dibetulkan, dan akhirnya rumah itu lapuk akibat kemalasan.
Some men are very lazy [and do not repair the rafters], with the result that the rafters sag [and collapse]; and if they do not repair the roof, water will leak into the house [when it rains].
19 Pesta membuat tertawa, dan anggur membuat gembira. Tapi perlu ada uang untuk membayarnya.
Eating food and drinking wine causes us to laugh and be happy, [but] we are able to enjoy those things only if we have money [to buy them].
20 Jangan mengecam raja, biar di dalam hati. Jangan mengumpat orang kaya, biar di kamar tidur pribadi. Mungkin seekor burung mendengar apa yang kaukatakan, lalu menyampaikannya kepada yang bersangkutan.
Do not even think about cursing the king, or cursing rich [people, even] when you are [alone] in your bedroom, because [it is possible that] a little bird will hear [what you are saying], [and] tell those people what you said [about them].
