Ecclesiastes, 10

1. One dead fly can spoil the scent-maker's oil: a grain of stupidity outweighs wisdom and glory.

1. Dead flies make the perfumer's ointment give off an evil odor; so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

2. The sage's heart leads him aright, the fool's leads him astray.

2. A wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left.

3. A fool walks down the road, he has no wit -- and everyone remarks, 'How silly he is!'

3. Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to every one that he is a fool.

4. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; composure mitigates grave offences.

4. If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your place, for deference will make amends for great offenses.

5. One evil I observe under the sun: the sort of misjudgement to which rulers are prone-

5. There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error proceeding from the ruler:

6. folly promoted to the top and the rich taking the lowest place.

6. folly is set in many high places, and the rich sit in a low place.

7. I see slaves riding on horses and princes on foot like slaves.

7. I have seen slaves on horses, and princes walking on foot like slaves.

8. He who digs a pit falls into it, he who undermines a wall gets bitten by a snake,

8. He who digs a pit will fall into it; and a serpent will bite him who breaks through a wall.

9. he who quarries stones gets hurt by them, he who chops wood takes a risk from it.

9. He who quarries stones is hurt by them; and he who splits logs is endangered by them.

10. If, for want of sharpening, the blade is blunt, you have to work twice as hard; but it is the outcome that makes wisdom rewarding.

10. If the iron is blunt, and one does not whet the edge, he must put forth more strength; but wisdom helps one to succeed.

11. If, for want of charming, the snake bites, the snake-charmer gets nothing out of it.

11. If the serpent bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage in a charmer.

12. The sayings of a sage give pleasure, what a fool says procures his own ruin:

12. The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him.

13. his words have their origin in stupidity and their ending in treacherous folly.

13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is wicked madness.

14. A fool talks a great deal, but none of us in fact can tell the future; what will happen after us, who can tell?

14. A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?

15. A fool finds hard work very tiring, he cannot even find his own way into town.

15. The toil of a fool wearies him, so that he does not know the way to the city.

16. Woe to you, country with a lad for king, and where princes start feasting in the morning!

16. Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning!

17. Happy the land whose king is nobly born, where princes eat at a respectable hour to keep themselves strong and not merely to revel!

17. Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of free men, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

18. Thanks to idleness, the roof-tree gives way, thanks to carelessness, the house lets in the rain.

18. Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through indolence the house leaks.

19. We give parties to enjoy ourselves, wine makes us cheerful and money has an answer for everything.

19. Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.

20. Do not abuse the king, even in thought, do not abuse a rich man, even in your bedroom, for a bird of the air might carry the news, a winged messenger might repeat what you have said.

20. Even in your thought, do not curse the king, nor in your bedchamber curse the rich; for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter.