| 1 | Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom—By reason of honour —a little folly! |
| 2 | The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left. |
| 3 | And 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.' |
| 4 | If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners. |
| 5 | There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler, |
| 6 | He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit. |
| 7 | I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth. |
| 8 | Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him. |
| 9 | Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them. |
| 10 | If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right. |
| 11 | If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue. |
| 12 | Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up. |
| 13 | The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness. |
| 14 | And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him?' |
| 15 | The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city. |
| 16 | Wo to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning. |
| 17 | Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness. |
| 18 | By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop. |
| 19 | For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all. |
| 20 | Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word. |