Ecclesiastes 10

¹Flies `that dien, leesen the swetnesse of oynement. Litil foli at a tyme is preciousere than wisdom and glorie.

²The herte of a wijs man is in his riyt side; and the herte of a fool is in his left side.

³But also a fool goynge in the weie, whanne he is vnwijs, gessith alle men foolis.

⁴If the spirit of hym, that hath power, stieth on thee, forsake thou not thi place; for heeling schal make gretteste synnes to ceesse.

⁵An yuel is, which Y siy vndur the sunne, and goith out as bi errour fro the face of the prince; a fool set in hiy dignyte,

⁶and riche men sitte bynethe.

⁷I siy seruauntis on horsis, and princes as seruauntis goynge on the erthe.

⁸He that diggith a diche, schal falle in to it; and an eddre schal bite hym, that distrieth an hegge.

⁹He that berith ouer stoonys, schal be turmentid in tho; and he that kittith trees, schal be woundid of tho.

¹⁰If yrun is foldid ayen, and this is not as bifore, but is maad blunt, it schal be maad scharp with myche trauel; and wisdom schal sue aftir bisynesse.

¹¹If a serpent bitith, it bitith in silence; he that bacbitith priueli, hath no thing lesse than it.

¹²The wordis of the mouth of a wijs man is grace; and the lippis of an vnwijs man schulen caste hym doun.

¹³The bigynnyng of hise wordis is foli; and the laste thing of his mouth is the worste errour.

¹⁴A fool multiplieth wordis; a man noot, what was bifore hym, and who mai schewe to hym that, that schal come aftir hym?

¹⁵The trauel of foolis shal turment hem, that kunnen not go in to the citee.

¹⁶Lond, wo to thee, whos kyng is a child, and whose princes eten eerli.

¹⁷Blessid is the lond, whos kyng is noble; and whose princis eten in her tyme, to susteyne the kynde, and not to waste.

¹⁸The hiynesse of housis schal be maad low in slouthis; and the hous schal droppe in the feblenesse of hondis.

¹⁹In leiyyng thei disposen breed and wyn, that thei drynkynge ete largeli; and alle thingis obeien to monei.

²⁰In thi thouyt bacbite thou not the kyng, and in the priuete of thi bed, curse thou not a riche man; for the briddis of heuene schulen bere thi vois, and he that hath pennys, schal telle the sentence.

Ecclesiastes 10

¹Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.

²A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.

³Yea also, when he that is a fool walketh by the way, his wisdom faileth him, and he saith to every one that he is a fool.

⁴If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for yielding pacifieth great offences.

⁵There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, as an error which proceedeth from the ruler:

⁶Folly is set in great dignity, and the rich sit in low place.

⁷I have seen servants upon horses, and princes walking as servants upon the earth.

⁸He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

⁹Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

¹⁰If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

¹¹Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

¹²The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself.

¹³The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

¹⁴A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

¹⁵The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.

¹⁶Woe to thee, O land, when thy king is a child, and thy princes eat in the morning!

¹⁷Blessed art thou, O land, when thy king is the son of nobles, and thy princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness!

¹⁸By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

¹⁹A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.

²⁰Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.