Ecclesiastes 10

10As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,

so a little folly^y outweighs wisdom and honor.

²The heart of the wise inclines to the right,

but the heart of the fool to the left.

³Even as fools walk along the road,

they lack sense

and show everyone^z how stupid they are.

⁴If a ruler’s anger rises against you,

do not leave your post;^a

calmness can lay great offenses to rest.^b

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

the sort of error that arises from a ruler:

⁶Fools are put in many high positions,^c

while the rich occupy the low ones.

⁷I have seen slaves on horseback,

while princes go on foot like slaves.^d

⁸Whoever digs a pit may fall into it;^e

whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.^f

⁹Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;

whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.^g

¹⁰If the ax is dull

and its edge unsharpened,

more strength is needed,

but skill will bring success.

¹¹If a snake bites before it is charmed,

the charmer receives no fee.^h

¹²Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious,ⁱ

but fools are consumed by their own lips.^j

¹³At the beginning their words are folly;

at the end they are wicked madness—

¹⁴and fools multiply words.^k

No one knows what is coming—

who can tell someone else what will happen after them?^l

¹⁵The toil of fools wearies them;

they do not know the way to town.

¹⁶Woe to the land whose king was a servant^am

and whose princes feast in the morning.

¹⁷Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth

and whose princes eat at a proper time—

for strength and not for drunkenness.ⁿ

¹⁸Through laziness, the rafters sag;

because of idle hands, the house leaks.^o

¹⁹A feast is made for laughter,

wine^p makes life merry,

and money is the answer for everything.

²⁰Do not revile the king^q even in your thoughts,

or curse the rich in your bedroom,

because a bird in the sky may carry your words,

and a bird on the wing may report what you say.