Ecclesiastes/Qohelet 10

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 One dead fly can spoil the scent-maker's oil: a grain of stupidity outweighs wisdom and glory.	1 Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.
2 The sage's heart leads him aright, the fool's leads him astray.	2 The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.
3 A fool walks down the road, he has no wit -- and everyone remarks, 'How silly he is!'	3 Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas be himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.
4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; composure mitigates grave offences.	4 If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.
5 One evil I observe under the sun: the sort of misjudgement to which rulers are prone-	5 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:
6 fol y promoted to the top and the rich taking the lowest place.	6 A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.
7 I see slaves riding on horses and princes on foot like slaves.	7 I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.
8 He who digs a pit fal s into it, he who undermines a wal gets bitten by a snake,	8 He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.
9 he who quarries stones gets hurt by them, he who chops wood takes a risk from it.	9 He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.
10 If, for want of sharpening, the blade is blunt, you have to work twice as hard; but it is the outcome that makes wisdom rewarding.	10 If 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.
11 If, for want of charming, the snake bites, the snake-charmer gets nothing out of it.	11 If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.
12 The sayings of a sage give pleasure, what a fool says procures his own ruin:	12 The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.
13 his words have their origin in stupidity and their ending in treacherous fol y.	13 The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.
14 A fool talks a great deal, but none of us in fact can tel the future; what wil happen after us, who cantel ?	14 A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?
15 A fool finds hard work very tiring, he cannot even find his own way into town.	15 The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not bow to go to the city.
16 Woe to you, country with a lad for king, and where princes start feasting in the morning!	16 Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and when the princes eat in the morning.
17 Happy the land whose king is nobly born, where princes eat at a respectable hour to keepthemselves strong and not merely to revel!	17 Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.
18 Thanks to idleness, the roof-tree gives way, thanks to carelessness, the house lets in the rain.	18 By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.
19 We give parties to enjoy ourselves, wine makes us cheerful and money has an answer for everything.	19 For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.
20 Do not abuse the king, even in thought, do not abuse a rich man, even in your bedroom, for a bird ofthe air might carry the news, a winged messenger might repeat what you have said.	20 Detract 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.