Ecclesiastes 10

10Dead flies cause a bad smell and ruin^a the ointment of the perfumer.

So also a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

²The heart of the wise inclines to his right,

but the heart of the fool inclines to his left.

³Even when the fool walks along the road, he lacks sense;

he tells everyone that he is a fool.

⁴If the anger of the ruler rises against you,

do not leave your post,

for calmness can undo great offenses.

⁵There is an evil I have seen under the sun—

it is an error that proceeds from a ruler!

⁶The fool is set in many high places,

but the rich sit in lowly places.

⁷I have even seen slaves riding on horses

and princes walking like slaves on the earth!

Accidents Happen—Even to Professionals

⁸Whoever digs a pit will fall into it.

Whoever breaks through a wall, a snake will bite him.

⁹Whoever quarries^b stones will be wounded by them.

Whoever splits logs will be endangered by them.

Hard Work and Skill Alone Cannot Succeed—Wisdom is Necessary

¹⁰If the ax is blunt but one does not sharpen its edge,

he must exert more effort,^c

but the advantage of wisdom is it brings success.

¹¹If the snake bites before the charming,

the snake charmer will not succeed.^d

The Consequences of Foolishness

¹²The wise man wins favor by the words of his mouth,

but the fool is devoured by his own lips.

¹³He begins by saying what is foolish

and ends by uttering what is wicked delusion.

¹⁴The fool talks too much,^e

for no one knows what will be.

Who can tell anyone what will happen in the future?^f

¹⁵The fool is so worn out by a hard day’s work

he cannot even find his way home at night.^g

¹⁶Woe to you, O land, when your king is a youth

and your princes feast in the morning.

¹⁷Blessed are you, O land, when your king is a son of nobility

and your princes feast at the proper time—

to gain strength and not to get drunk.

¹⁸Through sloth the roof sinks in,

and through idleness of hands the house leaks.

¹⁹Feasts are held for celebration,^h

wine cheers the living,

and money answers everything.

²⁰Do not curse the king even in your thoughts,

and do not curse the rich even in your own bedroom,

for a bird of the sky may carry your voice;

a winged messenger may repeat your words.