Ecclesiastes 10

¹ 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.

¹ Ang mga patay na langaw ay nagpapabaho sa unguento ng manggagawa ng pabango: gayon ang munting kamangmangan ay sumisira ng karunungan at karangalan.

² Ang puso ng pantas na tao ay nasa kaniyang kanang kamay; nguni't ang puso ng mangmang ay sa kaniyang kaliwa.

³ Oo gayon din, pagka ang mangmang ay lumalakad sa daan, ay nawawalan siya ng bait, at kaniyang sinasabi sa bawa't isa, na siya'y isang ulol.

⁴ Kung ang diwa ng pinuno ay bumangon laban sa iyo, huwag kang umalis: sapagka't ang pagpapakalumanay ay nagpapalikat ng mga malaking pagkagalit.

⁵ May isang kasamaan, na nakita ko sa ilalim ng araw na tila kamalian na nanggagaling sa pinuno:

⁶ Ang mangmang ay nauupo sa malaking karangalan, at ang mayaman ay nauupo sa mababang dako.

⁷ Nakakita ako ng mga alipin na nakasakay sa mga kabayo, at ng mga pangulo na nagsisilakad sa lupa na gaya ng mga alipin.

⁸ Siyang humuhukay ng lungaw ay mahuhulog doon: at ang sumisira sa pader, ay kakagatin siya ng ahas.

⁹ Ang tumatabas ng mga bato ay masasaktan niyaon; at ang pumapalakol ng kahoy ay napapanganib doon.

¹⁰ Kung ang bakal ay pumurol, at hindi ihasa ninoman ang talim, marapat nga niyang gamitan ng lalong kalakasan: nguni't ang karunungan ay pinakikinabangang magturo.

¹¹ Kung ang ahas ay kumagat bago maenkanto, wala ngang kapakinabangan sa mangeenkanto.

¹² Ang mga salita ng bibig ng pantas ay mapagbiyaya; nguni't ang mga labi ng mangmang ay lalamon sa kaniyang sarili.

¹³ Ang pasimula ng mga salita ng kaniyang bibig ay kamangmangan: at ang wakas ng kaniyang salita ay makamandag na kaululan.

¹⁴ Ang mangmang din naman ay nagpaparami ng mga salita: gayon ma'y hindi nalalaman ng tao kung ano ang mangyayari; at ang mangyayari pagkamatay niya, sinong makapagsasaysay sa kaniya?

¹⁵ Ang gawa ng mga mangmang ay nagpapayamot sa bawa't isa sa kanila; sapagka't hindi niya nalalaman kung paanong pagparoon sa bayan.

¹⁶ Sa aba mo, Oh lupain, kung ang iyong hari ay isang bata, at ang iyong mga pangulo ay nagsisikain sa umaga!

¹⁷ Mapalad ka, Oh lupain, kung ang iyong hari ay anak ng mga mahal na tao, at ang iyong mga pangulo ay nagsisikain sa kaukulang panahon, sa ikalalakas, at hindi sa paglalasing!

¹⁸ Sa katamaran ay gumuguho ang bubungan; at di sa pagkilos ng mga kamay ay tumutulo ang bahay.

¹⁹ Ang kapistahan ay ginagawa sa ikapagtatawa, at ang alak ay nagpapasaya sa buhay: at ang salapi ay sumasagot sa lahat ng mga bagay.

²⁰ Huwag mong sumpain ang hari, huwag, huwag sa iyong pagiisip; at huwag mong sumpain ang mayaman sa iyong silid na tulugan: sapagka't isang ibon sa himpapawid ay magdadala ng tinig, at ang may mga pakpak ay magsasaysay ng bagay.

¹ Dead flies make the oil of the perfumer give out an evil smell; more valued is a little wisdom than the great glory of the foolish.

² The heart of the wise man goes in the right direction; but the heart of a foolish man in the wrong.

³ And when the foolish man is walking in the way, he has no sense and lets everyone see that he is foolish.

⁴ If the wrath of the ruler is against you, keep in your place; in him who keeps quiet even great sins may be overlooked.

⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, like an error which comes by chance from a ruler:

⁶ The foolish are placed in high positions, but men of wealth are kept low.

⁷ I have seen servants on horses, and rulers walking on the earth as servants.

⁸ He who makes a hole for others will himself go into it, and for him who makes a hole through a wall the bite of a snake will be a punishment.

⁹ He who gets out stones from the earth will be damaged by them, and in the cutting of wood there is danger.

¹⁰ If the iron has no edge, and he does not make it sharp, then he has to put out more strength; but wisdom makes things go well.

¹¹ If a snake gives a bite before the word of power is said, then there is no longer any use in the word of power.

¹² The words of a wise man's mouth are sweet to all, but the lips of a foolish man are his destruction.

¹³ The first words of his mouth are foolish, and the end of his talk is evil crime.

¹⁴ The foolish are full of words; man has no knowledge of what will be; and who is able to say what will be after him?

¹⁵ The work of the foolish will be a weariness to him, because he has no knowledge of the way to the town.

¹⁶ Unhappy is the land whose king is a boy, and whose rulers are feasting in the morning.

¹⁷ Happy is the land whose ruler is of noble birth, and whose chiefs take food at the right time, for strength and not for feasting.

¹⁸ When no work is done the roof goes in, and when the hands do nothing water comes into the house.

¹⁹ A feast is for laughing, and wine makes glad the heart; but by the one and the other money is wasted.

²⁰ Say not a curse against the king, even in your thoughts; and even secretly say not a curse against the man of wealth; because a bird of the air will take the voice, and that which has wings will give news of it.