Ecclesiastes 10

¹Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom — By reason of honour — a little folly!

²The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left.

³And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.'

⁴If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners.

⁵There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler,

⁶He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit.

⁷I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth.

⁸Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him.

⁹Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them.

¹⁰If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right.

¹¹If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue.

¹²Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up.

¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.