¹ Dead flies putrefy^[a] the perfumer’s ointment,
And cause it to give off a foul odor;
So does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.
² A wise man’s heart is at his right hand,
But a fool’s heart at his left.
³ Even when a fool walks along the way,
He lacks wisdom,
And he shows everyone that he is a fool.
⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rises against you,
Do not leave your post;
For conciliation pacifies great offenses.
⁵ There is an evil I have seen under the sun,
As an error proceeding from the ruler:
⁶ Folly is set in great dignity,
While the rich sit in a lowly place.
⁷ I have seen servants on horses,
While princes walk on the ground like servants.
⁸ He who digs a pit will fall into it,
And whoever breaks through a wall will be bitten by a serpent.
⁹ He who quarries stones may be hurt by them,
And he who splits wood may be endangered by it.
¹⁰ If the ax is dull,
And one does not sharpen the edge,
Then he must use more strength;
But wisdom brings success.
¹¹ A serpent may bite when it is not charmed;
The babbler is no different.
¹² The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious,
But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up;
¹³ The words of his mouth begin with foolishness,
And the end of his talk is raving madness.
¹⁴ A fool also multiplies words.
No man knows what is to be;
Who can tell him what will be after him?
¹⁵ The labor of fools wearies them,
For they do not even know how to go to the city!
¹⁶ Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child,
And your princes feast in the morning!
¹⁷ Blessed are you, O land, when your king is the son of nobles,
And your princes feast at the proper time—
For strength and not for drunkenness!
¹⁸ Because of laziness the building decays,
And through idleness of hands the house leaks.
¹⁹ A feast is made for laughter,
And wine makes merry;
But money answers everything.
²⁰ Do not curse the king, even in your thought;
Do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom;
For a bird of the air may carry your voice,
And a bird in flight may tell the matter.