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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.