Ecclesiastes 10 (KJV)

¹Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. ^{Dead: Heb. Flies of death}

²A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.

³Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool. ^{his: Heb. his heart}

⁴If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

⁵There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler: ^{from: Heb. from before}

⁶Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place. ^{in great: Heb. in great heights}

⁷I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

⁸He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

⁹Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

¹⁰If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

¹¹Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better. ^{a babbler: Heb. the master of the tongue}

¹²The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. ^{gracious: Heb. grace}

¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness. ^{his talk: Heb. his mouth}

¹⁴A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? ^{is full: Heb. multiplieth words}

¹⁵The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

¹⁶Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

¹⁷Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

¹⁸By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

¹⁹A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry : but money answereth all things. ^{maketh: Heb. maketh glad the life}

²⁰Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber : for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. ^{thought: or, conscience}