Ecclesiastes 10 / 12
- 1As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
- 2The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.
- 3Even as he walks along the road, the fool lacks sense and shows everyone how stupid he is.
- 4If a ruler's anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great errors to rest.
- 5There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
- 6Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.
- 7I have seen slaves on horseback, while princes go on foot like slaves.
- 8Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.
- 9Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them.
- 10If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed but skill will bring success.
- 11If a snake bites before it is charmed, there is no profit for the charmer.
- 12Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious, but a fool is consumed by his own lips.
- 13At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness-
- 14and the fool multiplies words. No one knows what is coming- who can tell him what will happen after him?
- 15A fool's work wearies him; he does not know the way to town.
- 16Woe to you, O land whose king was a servant and whose princes feast in the morning.
- 17Blessed are you, O land whose king is of noble birth and whose princes eat at a proper time- for strength and not for drunkenness.
- 18If a man is lazy, the rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks.
- 19A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
- 20Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.