Ecclesiastes 10

Dying flies spoil the sweetness of the ointment. Wisdom and glory is more precious than a small and shortlived folly.

Muscæ morientes perdunt suavitatem unguenti. Pretiosior est sapientia et gloria, parva et ad tempus stultitia.

μυῖαι θανατοῦσαι σαπριοῦσιν σκευασίαν ἐλαίου ἡδύσματος τίμιον ὀλίγον σοφίας ὑπὲρ δόξαν ἀφροσύνης μεγάλης

The heart of a wise man is in his right hand, and the heart of a fool is in his left hand.

Cor sapientis in dextera ejus, et cor stulti in sinistra illius.

καρδία σοφοῦ εἰς δεξιὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ καρδία ἄφρονος εἰς ἀριστερὸν αὐτοῦ

Yea, and the fool when he walketh in the way, whereas he himself is a fool, esteemeth all men fools.

Sed et in via stultus ambulans, cum ipse insipiens sit, omnes stultos æstimat.

καί γε ἐν ὁδῷ ὅταν ἄφρων πορεύηται καρδία αὐτοῦ ὑστερήσει καὶ ἃ λογιεῖται πάντα ἀφροσύνη ἐστίν

If the spirit of him that hath power, ascend upon thee, leave not thy place: because care will make the greatest sins to cease.

Si spiritus potestatem habentis ascenderit super te, locum tuum ne demiseris, quia curatio faciet cessare peccata maxima.

ἐὰν πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ σέ τόπον σου μὴ ἀφῇς ὅτι ἴαμα καταπαύσει ἁμαρτίας μεγάλας

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, as it were by an error proceeding from the face of the prince:

Est malum quod vidi sub sole, quasi per errorem egrediens a facie principis :

ἔστιν πονηρία ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον ὡς ἀκούσιον ὃ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος

A fool set in high dignity, and the rich sitting beneath.

positum stultum in dignitate sublimi, et divites sedere deorsum.

ἐδόθη ὁ ἄφρων ἐν ὕψεσι μεγάλοις καὶ πλούσιοι ἐν ταπεινῷ καθήσονται

I have seen servants upon horses: and princes walking on the ground as servants.

Vidi servos in equis, et principes ambulantes super terram quasi servos.

εἶδον δούλους ἐφ' ἵππους καὶ ἄρχοντας πορευομένους ὡς δούλους ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it: and he that breaketh a hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

Qui fodit foveam incidet in eam, et qui dissipat sepem mordebit eum coluber.

ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον ἐν αὐτῷ ἐμπεσεῖται καὶ καθαιροῦντα φραγμόν δήξεται αὐτὸν ὄφις

He that removeth stones, shall be hurt by them: and he that cutteth trees, shall be wounded by them.

Qui transfert lapides affligetur in eis, et qui scindit ligna vulnerabitur ab eis.

ἐξαίρων λίθους διαπονηθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς σχίζων ξύλα κινδυνεύσει ἐν αὐτοῖς

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.

Si retusum fuerit ferrum, et hoc non ut prius, sed hebetatum fuerit, multo labore exacuetur, et post industriam sequetur sapientia.

ἐὰν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ σιδήριον καὶ αὐτὸς πρόσωπον ἐτάραξεν καὶ δυνάμεις δυναμώσει καὶ περισσεία τοῦ ἀνδρείου σοφία

If a serpent bite in silence, he is nothing better that backbiteth secretly.

Si mordeat serpens in silentio, nihil eo minus habet qui occulte detrahit.

ἐὰν δάκῃ ὁ ὄφις ἐν οὐ ψιθυρισμῷ καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν περισσεία τῷ ἐπᾴδοντι

The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace: but the lips of a fool shall throw him down headlong.

Verba oris sapientis gratia, et labia insipientis præcipitabunt eum;

λόγοι στόματος σοφοῦ χάρις καὶ χείλη ἄφρονος καταποντιοῦσιν αὐτόν

The beginning of his words is folly, and the end of his talk is a mischievous error.

initium verborum ejus stultitia, et novissimum oris illius error pessimus.

ἀρχὴ λόγων στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀφροσόνη καὶ ἐσχάτη στόματος αὐτοῦ περιφέρεια πονηρά

A fool multiplieth words. A man cannot tell what hath been before him: and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

Stultus verba multiplicat. Ignorat homo quid ante se fuerit; et quid post se futurum sit, quis ei poterit indicare?

καὶ ὁ ἄφρων πληθύνει λόγους οὐκ ἔγνω ὁ ἄνθρωπος τί τὸ γενόμενον καὶ τί τὸ ἐσόμενον ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ τίς ἀναγγελεῖ αὐτῷ

The labour of fools shall afflict them that know not how to go to the city.

Labor stultorum affliget eos, qui nesciunt in urbem pergere.

μόχθος τῶν ἀφρόνων κοπώσει αὐτούς ὃς οὐκ ἔγνω τοῦ πορευθῆναι εἰς πόλιν

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

Væ tibi, terra, cujus rex puer est, et cujus principes mane comedunt.

οὐαί σοι πόλις ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου νεώτερος καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου ἐν πρωίᾳ ἐσθίουσιν

Blessed is the land, whose king is noble, and whose princes eat in due season for refreshment, and not for riotousness.

Beata terra cujus rex nobilis est, et cujus principes vescuntur in tempore suo, ad reficiendum, et non ad luxuriam.

μακαρία σύ γῆ ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου υἱὸς ἐλευθέρων καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρὸς καιρὸν φάγονται ἐν δυνάμει καὶ οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται

By slothfulness a building shall be brought down, and through the weakness of hands, the house shall drop through.

In pigritiis humiliabitur contignatio, et in infirmitate manuum perstillabit domus.

ἐν ὀκνηρίαις ταπεινωθήσεται ἡ δόκωσις καὶ ἐν ἀργίᾳ χειρῶν στάξει ἡ οἰκία

For laughter they make bread, and wine that the living may feast: and all things obey money.

In risum faciunt panem et vinum ut epulentur viventes; et pecuniæ obediunt omnia.

εἰς γέλωτα ποιοῦσιν ἄρτον καὶ οἶνος εὐφραίνει ζῶντας καὶ τοῦ ἀργυρίου ἐπακούσεται σὺν τὰ πάντα

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.

In cogitatione tua regi ne detrahas, et in secreto cubiculi tui ne maledixeris diviti : quia et aves cæli portabunt vocem tuam, et qui habet pennas annuntiabit sententiam.

καί γε ἐν συνειδήσει σου βασιλέα μὴ καταράσῃ καὶ ἐν ταμιείοις κοιτώνων σου μὴ καταράσῃ πλούσιον ὅτι πετεινὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀποίσει σὺν τὴν φωνήν καὶ ὁ ἔχων τὰς πτέρυγας ἀπαγγελεῖ λόγον