Chapter 10

¹ Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment: and a little wisdom is more precious than great glory of folly.

² A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left. ³ Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way, his heart will fail him, and all that he ¹thinks of is folly.

⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soothing will put an end to great offences. ⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, wherein an error has proceeded from the ruler. ⁶ The fool has been set in very high places, while rich men would sit in a low one. ⁷ I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants on the earth.

⁸ He that digs a pit shall fall into it; and him that breaks down a hedge a serpent shall bite.

⁹ He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby; he that cleaves wood shall be endangered thereby.

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¹⁰ If the axe-head should fall off, then the man troubles his countenance, and he must put forth more strength: and in that case skill is of no advantage to a man.²

¹¹ If a serpent bite when there is no charmer's ³whisper, then there is no advantage to the charmer. ¹² The words of a wise mouth are gracious: but the lips of a fool will swallow him up. ¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly: and the end of his talk mischievous madness. ¹⁴ A fool moreover multiplies words: man knows not what has been, nor what will be: who shall tell him what will come after him? ¹⁵ The labour of fools will afflict them, as that of one who knows not to go to the city.

¹⁶ Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young, and thy princes eat in the morning! ¹⁷ Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles, and whose princes shall eat seasonably, for strength, and shall not be ashamed.

¹⁸ By slothful neglect a building will be brought low: and by idleness of the hands the house will fall to pieces.

¹⁹ Men prepare bread for laughter, and wine and oil that the living should rejoice: but ⁴to money all things will humbly yield obedience.

²⁰ Even in thy conscience, curse not the king; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry thy voice, and that which has wings shall report thy speech.