Ecclesiastes 10

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Dead¹ flies ²putrefy the perfumer’s ointment,

And cause it to give off a foul odor;

So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.

A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,

But a fool’s heart at his left.

Even when a fool walks along the way,

He lacks wisdom,

^aAnd he shows everyone that he is a fool.

If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,

^aDo not leave your post;

For ^bconciliation¹ pacifies great offenses.

There is an evil I have seen under the sun,

As an error proceeding from the ruler:

^aFolly is set in ¹great dignity,

While the rich sit in a lowly place.

I have seen servants ^aon horses,

While princes walk on the ground like servants.

^aHe who digs a pit will fall into it,

And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.

He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,

And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.

If the ax is dull,

And one does not sharpen the edge,

Then he must use more strength;

But wisdom ¹brings success.

A serpent may bite ^awhen it is not charmed;

The ¹babbler is no different.

^aThe words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,

But ^bthe lips of a fool shall swallow him up;

The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,

And the end of his talk is raving madness.

^aA fool also multiplies words.

No man knows what is to be;

Who can tell him ^bwhat will be after him?

The labor of fools wearies them,

For they do not even know how to go to the city!

^aWoe to you, O land, when your king is a child,

And your princes feast in the morning!

Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,

And your ^aprinces feast at the proper time—

For strength and not for drunkenness!

Because of laziness the ¹building decays,

And ^athrough idleness of hands the house leaks.

A feast is made for laughter,

And ^awine makes merry;

But money answers everything.

^aDo not curse the king, even in your thought;

Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;

For a bird of the air may carry your voice,

And a bird in flight may tell the matter.

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