Ecclesiastes 10

1Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.

Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.

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

Cor sapientis in dextera ejus, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.

3Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas he himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.

Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.

4If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.

Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris, quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.

5There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:

Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis:

6A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.

positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.

7I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.

Vidi servos in equis, et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.

8He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.

9He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.

Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.

10If the iron be blunt, and be not as before, but be made blunt, with much labour it shall be sharpened: and after industry shall follow wisdom.

Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.

11If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.

Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.

12The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.

Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;

13The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.

initium verborum ejus stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.

14A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?

15The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not how to go to the city.

Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.

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

Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.

17Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.

Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est, et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo, ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.

18By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.

In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.

19For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.

In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.

20Detract not the king, no not in thy thought; and speak not evil of the rich man in thy private chamber: because even the birds of the air will carry thy voice, and he that hath wings will tell what thou hast said.

In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti: quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.