²A wise person’s heart leads the right way. The heart of a fool leads the wrong way. ³Even when a fool goes walking, he has no sense and shows everyone else that he’s a fool.

⁴If a ruler becomes angry with you, don’t resign your position. If you remain calm, you can make up for serious offenses.

⁵There is a tragedy that I’ve seen under the sun, an error often made by rulers. ⁶Foolish people are often given high positions, and rich people are left to fill lower positions. ⁷I have seen slaves sitting on horses and influential people going on foot like slaves.

⁸Whoever digs a pit may fall into it. Whoever breaks through a stone wall may be bitten by a snake. ⁹Whoever works in a stone quarry may get hurt. Whoever splits wood may be injured.

¹⁰If an ax is blunt and the edge isn’t sharpened, then one has to use more strength. But wisdom prepares the way for success. ¹¹If a snake bites before it has been charmed, then there is no advantage in being a snake charmer.

¹²A wise person’s words win favors, but a fool’s lips are self-destructive. ¹³A fool starts out by talking foolishness and ends up saying crazy things that are dangerous. ¹⁴He never stops talking. No one knows what the future will bring, or what will happen after ⸤death⸥. Who can say! ¹⁵Fools wear themselves out with hard work, because they don’t even know the way to town.

¹⁶How horrible it will be for any country where the king used to be a servant and where the high officials throw parties in the morning. ¹⁷A country is blessed when the king is from a noble family and when the high officials eat at the right time in order to get strength and not to get drunk.

¹⁸A roof sags because of laziness. A house leaks because of idle hands.

¹⁹A meal is made for laughter, and wine makes life pleasant, but money is the answer for everything.

²⁰Don’t curse the king even in your thoughts, and don’t curse rich people even in your bedroom. A bird may carry your words, or some winged creature may repeat what you say.

Read in Logos