Ecclesiastes 10

¹ As dead gadflies cause a compound of oil to stink, to bubble forth, So a little frivolity outweighs wisdom and glory. ² The heart of the wise man inclines to his right, Yet the heart of the stupid man to his left. ³ Even as the frivolous man walks along the way, his heart betrays a lack And affirms to all that he is frivolous. ⁴ If the spirit of a ruler ascends against you, do not leave your place, For a healing time gives rest to great sins. ⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun Like an involuntary error that comes forth from before one in authority: ⁶ The frivolous man is put in many high positions, And the rich nobles sit in low ones. ⁷ I have seen servants ride on horses And chiefs walking upon the earth like servants. ⁸ He who delves a shaft may fall into it, And he who breaches a stone dike, a serpent may bite him. ⁹ He who quarries out stones may come to grief by them; He who splits timbers may be endangered by them. ¹⁰ If the iron tool is blunt, and he does not polish the surfaces, Then he must be masterful with potency, yet wisdom would succeed for advantage. ¹¹ If a serpent should bite when there was no snake-charm, Then there is no advantage to the possessor of a charming tongue. ¹² Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious, Yet the lips of a stupid man swallow him up. ¹³ At the start the words of his mouth are frivolity, And at last from his mouth comes evil raving. ¹⁴ The frivolous man multiplies words; But a man does not know what shall be, And what shall come after him, who can tell him? ¹⁵ The toil of the stupid wearies one, Seeing that he does not even know how to go to the city. ¹⁶ Woe to you, O country, whose king is a youth, And whose chiefs eat feasts in the morning. ¹⁷ Happy are you, O country, whose king is a son of notables, And whose chiefs eat in season For mastery and not for a drinking bout. ¹⁸ Because of slothfulness the house's framework shall sag, And because of laziness of hands, the house shall leak. ¹⁹ The making of bread is for mirth, And wine gives rejoicing to life, While silver answers for everything. ²⁰ Even in your thinking do not maledict a king, And do not maledict a rich man in your bed chamber Because a flyer of the heavens may carry the voice, And a possessor of wings may tell your speech.