Ecclesiastes 10
1Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: 1 And a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly. 1
2A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; 1 But a fool’s heart at his left. 1
3Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, 1 His heart will fail him, 1 And all that he thinks of is folly. 1
4If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, 1 Leave not thy place; 1 For soothing will put an end to great offenses. 1
5There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, 1 Wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler. 1
6The fool has been set in very high places, 1 While rich men would sit in a low one. 1
7I have seen servants upon horses, 1 And princes walking as servants on the earth. 1
8He that digs a pit shall fall into it; 1 And him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite. 1
9He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; 1 He that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby. 1
10If the axe-head should fall off, 1 Then the man troubles his countenance, 1 And he must put forth more strength: 1 And in that case skill is of no advantage to a man. 1
11If a serpent bite when there is no charmer’s whisper, 1 Then there is no advantage to the charmer. 1
12The words of a wise mouth are gracious: 1 But the lips of a fool will swallow him up. 1
13The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: 1 And the end of his talk mischievous madness. 1
14A fool moreover multiplies words: 1 Man knows not what has been, nor what will be: 1 Who shall tell him what will come after him? 1
15The labor of fools will afflict them, 1 As that of one who knows not to go to the city. 1
16Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, 1 And thy princes eat in the morning! 1
17Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, 1 And whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, 1 And shall not be ashamed. 1
18By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: 1 And by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces. 1
19Men prepare bread for laughter, 1 And wine and oil that the living should rejoice: 1 But to money all things will humbly yield obedience. 1
20Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; 1 And curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: 1 For a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, 1 And that which has wings shall report thy speech.