Ecclesiastes, 10

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

1. Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: [so doth] a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom [and] honour.

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

2. A wise man's heart [is] at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

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

3. Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth [him], and he saith 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 spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

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 an error [which] proceedeth from the ruler:

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

6. Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

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

7. I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

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

8. He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

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

9. Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; [and] he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

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 be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom [is] profitable to direct.

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

11. Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

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 [are] gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

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] mischievous 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 also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

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

15. The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

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

16. Woe to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a child, and thy princes eat 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. Blessed [art] thou, O land, when thy king [is] the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, 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. By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

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

19. A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all [things].

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. Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.