Dead flies cause the oil of the perfumer {Or, to stink and putrefy}to send forth an evil odor; so doth a little folly {Or, him that is valued for wisdom}outweigh wisdom and honor.
A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left.
Yea also, when the fool walketh by the way, his {Hebrew: heart.}understanding faileth him, and he saith {Or, of}to every one that he is a fool.
If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for {Or, calmness leaveth great sins undone}gentleness allayeth great offences.
There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as it were an error which proceedeth from the ruler:
folly is set in great {Hebrew: heights.}dignity, and the rich sit in a low place.
I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking like servants upon the earth.
He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh through a wall, a serpent shall bite him.
Whoso {Or, moveth stones}heweth out stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood is endangered thereby.
If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
{Or, Surely the serpent will bite where there is no enchantment; and the slanderer is no better}If the serpent bite {Hebrew: without enchantment.}before it is charmed, then is there no advantage in {Hebrew: the master of the tongue.}the charmer.
The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.
The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness; and the end of {Hebrew: his mouth.}his talk is mischievous madness.
A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
The labor of fools wearieth every one of them; for he knoweth not how to go to the city.
Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a {Or, servant}child, and thy princes eat in the morning!
Happy art thou, O land, when thy king is {Or, a free man}the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!
By slothfulness the {Or, rafters sink}roof sinketh in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaketh.
A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh glad the life; and money answereth all things.
Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.
Querverweise zu Prediger 10,2 Pred 10,2
Whatsoever thy hand {Or, attained to do by thy strength, that do}findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.
If the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.
The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way;But the folly of fools is deceit.
A fool also multiplieth words: yet man knoweth not what shall be; and that which shall be after him, who can tell him?
For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it?
Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him,
saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace.
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom,Seeing he hath no {Hebrew: heart.}understanding?
And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods.
And I will say to my {Or, life}soul, {Or, life}Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.
But God said unto him, Thou foolish one, this night {Greek: they require thy soul.}is thy {Or, life}soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?