Ecclesiastes 10:1–3

Dead flies make the perfumer’s ointment give off a stench;

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right,

but a fool’s heart to the left.

Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense,

and he says to everyone that he is a fool.

As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

The heart of the wise inclines to the right,

but the heart of the fool to the left.

Even as fools walk along the road,

they lack sense

and show everyone how stupid they are.

Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil ferment and stink;

so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

A wise person’s heart goes to the right,

but a fool’s heart to the left.

Even when the fool walks along the road, his heart lacks sense,

and he shows everyone he is a fool.

As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink,

so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.

A wise person chooses the right road;

a fool takes the wrong one.

You can identify fools

just by the way they walk down the street!

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

So also a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

The heart of the wise inclines to his right,

but the heart of the fool inclines to his left.

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

he tells everyone that he is a fool.

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

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