10 A few dead flies in a bottle of perfume cause it to have a bad smell.
In the same way, one foolish thing can destroy a lot of wisdom.
2 If you are wise,
you know the right way to go.
But a fool is stupid and he goes the wrong way.
3 Even when fools walk along the road,
they show that they are stupid.
Everyone can see that they are not wise.
4 If your master becomes angry with you,
do not leave your place.
Be patient and answer him quietly.
Then he will forgive your mistakes.
5 I have seen another terrible thing that happens on the earth.
It happens when a ruler does a silly thing.
6 A ruler may give fools too much authority.
At the same time, rich people have no authority.
7 Slaves ride on horses, as important people do.
At the same time, princes have to walk, as slaves do.
8 If you dig a deep hole, you might fall into it.
If you knock down a wall, a snake might bite you.
9 If you cut stones out of the ground, a stone might hurt you.
If you cut wood into pieces, a piece of it might hurt you.
10 If your axe is not sharp,
you will need to be very strong to use it.
If you are wise, you will make the axe's edge sharp again.
That is how wisdom helps you to do things well.
11 Someone may have power over dangerous snakes.
But that will not help him if the snake bites him first.
12 People respect a wise person,
because of the things that he says.
But the words of a fool will destroy him.
13 When a fool starts to speak,
he says silly things.
When he finishes,
he is saying crazy things that are wicked.
14 But he never stops talking.
Nobody knows what will happen in the future.
Nobody can tell us what will happen after we die.
15 When a fool does any work,
he quickly becomes tired.
He is so tired that he forgets the way to town.
16 A country is in terrible trouble
if its ruler is young and foolish.
If its leaders go to parties all day,
a country is in trouble.
17 But if a country's ruler belongs to a good family,
that country will be a happy place.
Its leaders only enjoy parties at the proper time.
They control themselves and they do not become drunk.
18 If a man is too lazy to work on his house,
its roof will fall down.
Rain will make his rooms wet.
19 Good food and wine help us to laugh and to be happy.
But you need to have money to buy everything.
20 Do not say bad things about the king.
Do not even think about it!
Even when you are in your bedroom,
do not say bad things about rich people.
A little bird might hear you.
It might tell people what you have said.
10 A few dead flies will make even the best perfume stink. In the same way, a little foolishness can ruin much wisdom and honor.
2 The thoughts of the wise lead them the right way, but the thoughts of the foolish lead them the wrong way. 3 Fools show how foolish they are, just walking down the road. Their minds are empty, and everyone knows it.
4 Don’t quit your job simply because the boss is angry with you. If you remain calm and helpful, you can correct even great mistakes. [ a ]
5 Here is something else that I have seen in this life [ b ] that isn’t fair. It is the kind of mistake that rulers make. 6 Fools are given important positions, while the rich get jobs that are not important. 7 I have seen servants riding on horses, while rulers were walking beside them like slaves.
8 If you dig a hole, you might fall into it. If you break down a wall, you might be bitten by a snake. 9 If you are moving large stones, you might be hurt by them. If you cut down a tree, you are in danger of it falling on you.
10 But wisdom will make any job easier. It is very hard to cut with a dull knife. But if you sharpen the knife, the job is easier.
11 Someone might know how to control snakes. But that skill is useless if a snake bites when that person is not around.
12 Words from the wise bring praise,
but words from a fool bring destruction.
13 Fools begin by saying something foolish. But in the end, they speak nonsense. 14 Fools are always talking about what they will do, but you never know what will happen. People cannot tell what will happen in the future.
15 Fools aren’t smart enough to find their way home,
so they must work hard all their lives.
16 It is very bad for a country if the king is like a child. And it is very bad for a country if its rulers use all their time eating. 17 But it is very good for a country if the king comes from a good family. [ c ] And it is very good for a country if the rulers control their eating and drinking. They eat and drink to become strong, not to become drunk.
18 If someone is too lazy to work,
their house will begin to leak, and the roof will fall in.
19 People enjoy eating, and wine makes life happier. But money solves a lot of problems.
20 Don’t say bad things about the king. Don’t even think bad things about him. And don’t say bad things about rich people, even if you are alone in your home. A little bird might fly and tell them everything you said.
10 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.
2 A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
3 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.
4 If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.
5 There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
6 Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.
7 I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.
8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.
10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.
12 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.
14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.
16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
17 Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.
20 Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
10 Dead flies turn a ( A ) perfumer’s oil rancid, so a little foolishness is more [ a ] potent than wisdom and honor. 2 A wise person’s heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish ( B ) person’s heart directs him toward the left. 3 Even when the fool walks along the road, his [ b ] sense is lacking, and he [ c ] ( C ) demonstrates to everyone that he is a fool. 4 If the ruler’s [ d ] temper rises against you, ( D ) do not abandon your place, because ( E ) composure puts great offenses to rest.
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, like a mistake that proceeds from the ruler: 6 ( F ) foolishness is set in many exalted places while the rich sit in humble places. 7 I have seen ( G ) slaves riding ( H ) on horses and princes walking like slaves on the land.
8 ( I ) One who digs a pit may fall into it, and a ( J ) serpent may bite one who breaks through a wall. 9 One who quarries stones may be hurt by them, and one who splits logs may be endangered by them. 10 If the [ e ] axe is dull and he does not sharpen its [ f ] edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of bringing success. 11 If the serpent bites [ g ] ( K ) before being charmed, there is no benefit for the charmer. 12 ( L ) Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a ( M ) fool consume him; 13 the beginning of [ h ] his talking is foolishness, and the end of [ i ] it is evil ( N ) insanity. 14 Yet the ( O ) fool multiplies words. No person knows what will happen, and who can tell him ( P ) what will come after him? 15 The labor of [ j ] a fool makes him so weary that he does not even know how to go to a city. 16 Woe to you, land whose ( Q ) king is a boy, and whose princes [ k ] feast in the morning. 17 Blessed are you, land whose king is of nobility, and whose princes eat at the appropriate time—for strength and not for ( R ) drunkenness. 18 Through ( S ) extreme laziness the rafters sag, and through idleness the house leaks. 19 People prepare a meal for enjoyment, ( T ) wine makes life joyful, and ( U ) money [ l ] is the answer to everything. 20 Furthermore, ( V ) in your bedroom do not ( W ) curse a king, and in your sleeping rooms do not curse a rich person; for a bird of the sky will bring the sound, and the winged one will make your word known.
10 As dead flies give perfume a bad smell,
so a little folly ( A ) outweighs wisdom and honor.
2 The heart of the wise inclines to the right,
but the heart of the fool to the left.
3 Even as fools walk along the road,
they lack sense
and show everyone ( B ) how stupid they are.
4 If a ruler’s anger rises against you,
do not leave your post; ( C )
calmness can lay great offenses to rest. ( D )
5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions, ( E )
while the rich occupy the low ones.
7 I have seen slaves on horseback,
while princes go on foot like slaves. ( F )
8 Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; ( G )
whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. ( H )
9 Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them;
whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. ( I )
10 If the ax is dull
and its edge unsharpened,
more strength is needed,
but skill will bring success.
11 If a snake bites before it is charmed,
the charmer receives no fee. ( J )
12 Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, ( K )
but fools are consumed by their own lips. ( L )
13 At the beginning their words are folly;
at the end they are wicked madness—
14 and fools multiply words. ( M )
No one knows what is coming—
who can tell someone else what will happen after them? ( N )
15 The toil of fools wearies them;
they do not know the way to town.
16 Woe to the land whose king was a servant [ a ] ( O )
and whose princes feast in the morning.
17 Blessed is the land whose king is of noble birth
and whose princes eat at a proper time—
for strength and not for drunkenness. ( P )
18 Through laziness, the rafters sag;
because of idle hands, the house leaks. ( Q )
19 A feast is made for laughter,
wine ( R ) makes life merry,
and money is the answer for everything.
20 Do not revile the king ( S ) 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.
