Ecclesiastes 10

¹Dying flies ruin the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a brief and limited foolishness

²The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a foolish man is in his left hand

³Moreover, as a foolish man is walking along the way, even though he himself is unwise, he considers everyone to be foolish

⁴If the spirit of one who holds authority rises over you, do not leave your place, because attentiveness will cause the greatest sins to cease

⁵There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, proceeding from the presence of a prince, as if by mistake

⁶a foolish man appointed to a high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath him

⁷I have seen servants on horses, and princes walking on the ground like servants

⁸Whoever digs a pit will fall into it. And whoever tears apart a hedge, a snake will bite him

⁹Whoever carries away stones will be harmed by them. And whoever cuts down trees will be wounded by them

¹⁰If the iron is dull, and if it was not that way before, but has been made dull by much labor, then it will be sharpened. And wisdom will follow after diligence

¹¹Whoever slanders in secret is nothing less than a snake that bites silently

¹²Words from the mouth of a wise man are graceful, but the lips of a foolish man will throw him down with violence

¹³At the beginning of his words is foolishness, and at the end of his talk is a most grievous error

¹⁴The fool multiplies his words. A man does not know what has been before him, and who is able to reveal to him what will be in the future after him

¹⁵The hardship of the foolish will afflict those who do not know to go into the city

¹⁶Woe to you, the land whose king is a boy, and whose princes consume in the morning

¹⁷Blessed is the land whose king is noble, and whose princes eat at the proper time, for refreshment and not for self-indulgence

¹⁸By laziness, a framework shall be brought down, and by the weakness of hands, a house shall collapse through

¹⁹While laughing, they make bread and wine, so that the living may feast. And all things are obedient to money

²⁰You should not slander the king, even in your thoughts, and you should not speak evil of a wealthy man, even in your private chamber. For even the birds of the air will carry your voice, and whatever has wings will announce your opinion