Ecclesiastes 10

10Dead ¹flies 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.

²A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,

But a fool’s heart at his left.

³Even when a fool walks along the way,

He lacks wisdom,

^aAnd he shows everyone that he is a fool.

⁴If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,

^bDo not leave your post;

For ^cconciliation ³pacifies great offenses.

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

As an error proceeding from the ruler:

^6dFolly is set in ⁴great dignity,

While the rich sit in a lowly place.

⁷I have seen servants ^eon horses,

While princes walk on the ground like servants.

^8fHe who digs a pit will fall into it,

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

⁹He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,

And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.

¹⁰If the ax is dull,

And one does not sharpen the edge,

Then he must use more strength;

But wisdom ⁵brings success.

¹¹A serpent may bite ^gwhen it is not charmed;

The ⁶babbler is no different.

^12hThe words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,

But ⁱthe lips of a fool shall swallow him up;

¹³The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,

And the end of his talk is raving madness.

^14jA fool also multiplies words.

No man knows what is to be;

Who can tell him ^kwhat will be after him?

¹⁵The labor of fools wearies them,

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

^16lWoe to you, O land, when your king is a child,

And your princes feast in the morning!

¹⁷Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,

And your ^mprinces feast at the proper time—

For strength and not for drunkenness!

¹⁸Because of laziness the ⁷building decays,

And ⁿthrough idleness of hands the house leaks.

¹⁹A feast is made for laughter,

And ^owine makes merry;

But money answers everything.

^20pDo 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.