Qoelet 10

NOVA VULGATA	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Muscae morientes perdunt et corrumpunt oleum unguentarii. Gravior quam sapientia et gloria est parva stultitia.	1 One dead fly can spoil the scent-maker's oil: a grain of stupidity outweighs wisdom and glory.
2 Cor sapientis in dextera eius, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.	2 The sage's heart leads him aright, the fool's leads him astray.
3 Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultosaestimat.	3 A fool walks down the road, he has no wit -- and everyone remarks, 'How silly he is!'
4 Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit contra te, locum tuum ne dimiseris,quia lenitas faciet cessare peccata maxima.	4 If the anger of the ruler rises against you, do not leave your post; composure mitigates grave offences.
5 Est malum, quod vidi sub sole quasi errorem egredientem a facie principis:	5 One evil I observe under the sun: the sort of misjudgement to which rulers are prone-
6 positum stultum in dignitate sublimi et divites sedere deorsum.	6 fol y promoted to the top and the rich taking the lowest place.
7 Vidi servos inequis et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.	7 I see slaves riding on horses and princes on foot like slaves.
8 Qui fodit foveam,incidet in eam; et, qui dissipat murum, mordebit eum coluber.	8 He who digs a pit fal s into it, he who undermines a wal gets bitten by a snake,
9 Qui excidit lapides, affligetur in eis; et, qui scindit ligna, periclitabitur ex eis.	9 he who quarries stones gets hurt by them, he who chops wood takes a risk from it.
10 Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et aciem eius non exacueris, labor multiplicabitur,sed lucrum industriae erit sapientia.	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.
11 Si mordeat serpens incantatione neglecta, nihil lucri habet incantator.	11 If, for want of charming, the snake bites, the snake-charmer gets nothing out of it.
12 Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis praecipitabunt eum.	12 The sayings of a sage give pleasure, what a fool says procures his own ruin:
13 Initium verborum eius stultitia, et novissimum oris illius insipientia mala.	13 his words have their origin in stupidity and their ending in treacherous fol y.
14 Stultus verba multiplicat: “ Ignorat homo quid futurum sit; et, quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?”.	14 A fool talks a great deal, but none of us in fact can tel the future; what wil happen after us, who cantel ?
15 Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.	15 A fool finds hard work very tiring, he cannot even find his own way into town.
16 Vae tibi, terra, cuius rex puer est, et cuius principes mane comedunt.	16 Woe to you, country with a lad for king, and where princes start feasting in the morning!
17 Beata terra, cuius rex nobilis est, et cuius principes vescuntur in tempore suo ad reficiendum et non ad luxuriam.	17 Happy the land whose king is nobly born, where princes eat at a respectable hour to keepthemselves strong and not merely to revel!
18 In pigris manibus humiliabitur contignatio, et in remissis perstillabit domus.	18 Thanks to idleness, the roof-tree gives way, thanks to carelessness, the house lets in the rain.
19 In risum faciunt epulas; vinum laetificat vitam, et pecunia praestat omnia.	19 We give parties to enjoy ourselves, wine makes us cheerful and money has an answer for everything.
20 In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti, quia et aves caeli portabunt vocem tuam, et, qui habet pennas, annuntiabit sententiam.	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.