Pengkhotbah 10
1 Lalat yang mati menyebabkan urapan dari pembuat urapan berbau busuk; demikian juga sedikit kebodohan lebih berpengaruh dari pada hikmat dan kehormatan.
[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 Hati orang berhikmat menuju ke kanan, tetapi hati orang bodoh ke kiri.
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 Juga kalau ia berjalan di lorong orang bodoh itu tumpul pikirannya, dan ia berkata kepada setiap orang: "Orang itu bodoh!"
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 amarah penguasa menimpa engkau, janganlah meninggalkan tempatmu, karena kesabaran mencegah kesalahan-kesalahan besar.
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 suatu kejahatan yang kulihat di bawah matahari sebagai kekhilafan yang berasal dari seorang penguasa:
There is something [else] that I have seen here on this earth, something that rulers sometimes do that is wrong/inappropriate:
6 pada banyak tempat yang tinggi, didudukkan orang bodoh, sedangkan tempat yang rendah diduduki orang kaya.
They appoint foolish people to have important positions, while they appoint rich [people] to have unimportant positions.
7 Aku melihat budak-budak menunggang kuda dan pembesar-pembesar berjalan kaki seperti budak-budak.
They allow slaves [to ride] on horses [like rich people usually do], [but] they force officials to walk [like slaves usually do].
8 Barangsiapa menggali lobang akan jatuh ke dalamnya, dan barangsiapa mendobrak tembok akan dipagut ular.
[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 Barangsiapa memecahkan batu akan dilukainya; barangsiapa membelah kayu akan dibahayakannya.
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 Jika besi menjadi tumpul dan tidak diasah, maka orang harus memperbesar tenaga, tetapi yang terpenting untuk berhasil adalah hikmat.
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 Jika ular memagut sebelum mantera diucapkan, maka tukang mantera tidak akan berhasil.
If a snake bites a man before he charms/tames it, his ability to charm snakes will not benefit him.
12 Perkataan mulut orang berhikmat menarik, tetapi bibir orang bodoh menelan orang itu 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 Awal perkataan yang keluar dari mulutnya adalah kebodohan, dan akhir bicaranya adalah kebebalan yang mencelakakan.
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 Orang yang bodoh banyak bicaranya, meskipun orang tidak tahu apa yang akan terjadi, dan siapakah yang akan mengatakan kepadanya apa yang akan terjadi sesudah dia?
They talk (too much/without ceasing). None of us knows what will happen in the future, or what will happen after we die.
15 Jerih payah orang bodoh melelahkan orang itu sendiri, karena ia tidak mengetahui jalan ke kota.
Foolish people become [so] exhausted by the work that they do that they are unable to find the road to their town/homes.
16 Wahai engkau tanah, kalau rajamu seorang kanak-kanak, dan pemimpin-pemimpinmu pagi-pagi sudah makan!
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 Berbahagialah engkau tanah, kalau rajamu seorang yang berasal dari kaum pemuka, dan pemimpin-pemimpinmu makan pada waktunya dalam keperkasaan dan bukan dalam kemabukan!
[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 Oleh karena kemalasan runtuhlah atap, dan oleh karena kelambanan tangan bocorlah rumah.
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 Untuk tertawa orang menghidangkan makanan; anggur meriangkan hidup dan uang memungkinkan semuanya itu.
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 Dalam pikiranpun janganlah engkau mengutuki raja, dan dalam kamar tidur janganlah engkau mengutuki orang kaya, karena burung di udara mungkin akan menyampaikan ucapanmu, dan segala yang bersayap dapat menyampaikan apa yang kauucapkan.
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].
