Ecclesiastes 10
1 Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.
Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: [and] a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.
2 Cor sapientis in dextera eius, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
3 Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.
Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he thinks of is folly.
4 Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris: quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences.
5 Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler.
6 positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.
The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one.
7 Vidi servos in equis: et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.
8 Qui fodit foveam, incidet in eam: et qui dissipat sepem, mordebit eum coluber.
He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.
9 Qui transfert lapides, affligetur in eis: et qui scindit ligna, vulnerabitur ab eis.
He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit multo labore, exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.
If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and [in that case] skill is of no advantage to a man.
11 Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.
If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer's] whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer.
12 Verba oris sapientis gratia: et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum:
The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up.
13 Initium verborum eius stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness.
14 Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit: et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?
A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him?
15 Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.
The labour of fools will afflict them, [as that of one] who knows not to go to the city.
16 Væ tibi terra, cuius rex puer est, et cuius principes mane comedunt.
Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 Beata terra, cuius rex nobilis est, et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.
Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.
18 In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.
By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.
19 In risum faciunt panem, et vinum ut epulentur viventes: et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.
Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but to money all things will humbly yield obedience.
20 In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti: quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annunciabit sententiam.
Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.
