Ecclesiastes 10

Dead flies cause the ointment of the ^aapothecary to ^bsend forth a stinking savour: so doth a little ^cfolly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

²A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left. ³Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and ^dhe saith to every one that he is a fool.

⁴If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, ^eleave not thy place; for ^fyielding ^gpacifieth great offences.

⁵There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an ^herror which proceedeth from the ⁱruler:^6kfolly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in ^llow place. ^7mI have seen servants ⁿupon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

^8oHe that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso ^pbreaketh a hedge, ^qa serpent shall bite him. ⁹Whoso ^rremoveth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that ^scleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

¹⁰If the iron ^tbe blunt, and he do not ^uwhet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is ^xprofitable to ^ydirect.

¹¹Surely the serpent will bite without ^zenchantment; and a babbler is no ^xbetter. ^12aThe words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but ^bthe lips of a fool will swallow up himself.¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is ^cfoolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous ^dmadness.^14eA fool also is full of words: ^fa man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, ^gwho can tell him?¹⁵The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

^16hWoe to thee, O land, when ⁱthy king is ^ja child, and thy princes ^keat in the morning. ¹⁷Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes ^leat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness.

¹⁸By much slothfulness the building ^mdecayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house ⁿdroppeth through.

¹⁹A feast is made for laughter, and ^owine maketh merry: but ^pmoney answereth all things.

^20qCurse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich ^rin thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and ^sthat which hath wings shall tell the matter.

XI.