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 10,20 Pred 10,20
Thou shalt not revile {Or, the judges}God, nor curse a ruler of thy people.
Also {Hebrew: give not thy heart.}take not heed unto all words that are spoken, lest thou hear thy servant curse thee;
But Martha was {Greek: distracted.}cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.
And they shall pass through it, sore distressed and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and {Or, curse their king and their God}curse by their king and by their God, and turn their faces upward:
for oftentimes also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others.
But there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
And Paul said, I knew not, brethren, that he was high priest: for it is written, {Exodus 22:28}Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people.
And he answered and said, I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out.
Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and what ye have spoken in the ear in the inner chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.