Chapter 10

¹ Pestilent flies will corrupt a preparation of sweet ointment:

ΜΥΙΑΙ θανατοῦσαι σαπριοῦσι σκευασίαν ἐλαίου ἡδύσματος· τίμιον ὀλίγον σοφίας ὑπὲρ δόξαν ἀφροσύνης μεγάλην,

² A wise man’s heart is at his right hand;

καρδία σοφοῦ εἰς δεξιὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ καρδία ἄφρονος εἰς ἀριστερὸν αὐτοῦ·

³ Yea, and whenever a fool walks by the way,

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

⁴ If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee,

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

⁵ There is an evil which I have seen under the sun,

ἔστι πονηρία, ἣν εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον, ὡς ἀκούσιον ὃ ἐξῆλθεν ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐξουσιάζοντος·

⁶ The fool has been set in very high places,

ἐδόθη ὁ ἄφρων ἐν ὕψεσι μεγάλοις, καὶ πλούσιοι ἐν ταπεινῷ καθήσονται.

⁷ I have seen servants upon horses,

εἶδον δούλους ἐφ᾿ ἵππους καὶ ἄρχοντας πορευομένους ὡς δούλους ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.

⁸ He that digs a pit shall fall into it;

ὁ ὀρύσσων βόθρον εἰς αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖται, καὶ καθαιροῦντα φραγμόν, δήξεται αὐτὸν ὄφις.

⁹ He that removes stones shall be troubled thereby;

ἐξαίρων λίθους διαπονηθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς, σχίζων ξύλα κινδυνεύσει ἐν αὐτοῖς.

¹⁰ If the axe-head should fall off,

ἐὰν ἐκπέσῃ τὸ σιδήριον, καὶ αὐτὸς πρόσωπον ἐτάραξε, καὶ δυνάμεις δυναμώσει, καὶ περισσεία τοῦ ἀνδρείου σοφία.

¹¹ If a serpent bite when there is no [charmer’s] whisper,

ἐὰν δάκῃ ὄφις ἐν οὐ ψιθυρισμῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι περισσεία τῷ ἐπᾳ£δοντι.

¹² The words of a wise mouth are gracious:

λόγοι στόματος σοφοῦ χάρις, καὶ χείλη ἄφρονος καταποντιοῦσιν αὐτόν·

¹³ The beginning of the words of his mouth is folly:

ἀρχὴ λόγων στόματος αὐτοῦ ἀφροσύνη, καὶ ἐσχάτη στόματος αὐτοῦ περιφέρεια πονηρά,

¹⁴ A fool moreover multiplies words:

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

¹⁵ The labor of fools will afflict them,

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

¹⁶ Woe to thee, O city, whose king is young,

οὐαί σοι, πόλις, ἧς ὁ βασιλεύς σου νεώτερος καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντές σου πρωΐ ἐσθίουσι.

¹⁷ Blessed art thou, O land, whose king is a son of nobles,

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

¹⁸ By slothful neglect a building will be brought low:

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

¹⁹ Men prepare bread for laughter,

εἰς γέλωτα ποιοῦσιν ἄρτον καὶ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι ζῶντας, καὶ τοῦ ἀργυρίου ταπεινώσει ἐπακούσεται τὰ πάντα.

²⁰ Even in thy conscience, curse not the king;

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